Fired worker kills supervisor at Las Vegas post office

AP.national (12-19-96) 16:18:05

ROBERT MACY, Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A postal supervisor described as ``the most non-confrontational guy in the world'' was shot to death in the parking lot Thursday, allegedly by a fired mail handler he had testified against.

Charles Jennings, 41, surrendered a half-hour later, telling an officer he came upon: ``I just murdered someone.''

James Brown, 59, senior labor relations supervisor for the city's main post office, was gunned down as he arrived for work in the morning. He was shot in the head at least twice, police said.

Brown had represented the post office in arbitration hearings after Jennings' firing last May. An arbitrator upheld the firing, and Jennings was notifiedof the decision Monday.

Post office spokeswoman Dee Dee Terrano would not say why Jennings was fired. Postal Inspector Donald Obritsch, who is assigned to monitor threats against postal employees, said Jennings ``was not a possible problem, like some employees are.''

Ms. Terrano described Brown as ``much loved and highly respected'' by fellow employees, some of whom wept as they waited on customers rushing to mail Christmas packages. They would not comment, saying they had been told not to.

``James was the most non-confrontational guy in the world,'' Chuck Davison said of his friend of 37 years. ``James Brown was what you would want to be in life, what you would want your kids to be.''

Davison, a contractor doing work at the post office, said he saw Brown last week. ``He was talking about how good life was,'' Davison said.

The worst post office shooting was in 1986, when Patrick Henry Sherrill, a letter carrier in Edmond, Okla., killed 14 people and committed suicide. Sherrill had a history of work problems and was in danger of being fired.