I am very thankful today that a police officer came out of the woods where I was surveying and asked me if I had seen an elderly lady with a big hat, "like the ones that they wear at the Kentucky Derby".
The officer said "If you see anyone matching that description, call 911 immediately, because she is a psychiatric patient and she has a gun." I said "okay" and the officer apologized for "sneaking up on me". Of course, I said "no problem".
I decided that it wasn't worth the risk of continuing to survey along the edge of that woods for the rest of the day, so I packed up my equipment and walked over to some other workers on the job site and told them about what had just transpired.
They said "thanks for letting us know" and told me they were probably going to "call it a day" for safety. I said "probably a good idea; I'm out of here for the day, too" This was at about 3:25 pm.
The shooting happened nearby, only moments later.
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My thoughts and prayers go out to S. Jean Gibson (deceased) and her family and friends. It is sad that mental illness, to this day, is associated with social unacceptance.