Three Violent Shootings By Off Duty Security In Just Days
Charlotte NC February 6 2019
While there doesn’t seem to be any reason or rhyme why three security officers have been charged with violent shootings during the past few days, a closer look reveals something different.
We’ve looked over police and media reports of the incidents and have found no common threads that would link any of them directly together but we found several telltale signs of trouble waiting in the wings. Anger, jealousy and threats of harm that were made by two of the three men and nothing was done about their actions.
On February 2nd, Van Nuys California police arrested a civilian Los Angeles Police Department security guard and charged him for allegedly killing his wife and 13-year-old son at their Van Nuys home the day after Christmas.
Viktor Yuryevich Glukhovskiy, 44, who works in the LAPD Security Services Division, has been charged with two counts of capital murder. The charges include the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder while lying in wait and murder for financial gain — making him eligible for the death penalty.
Investigators believe that Glukhovskiy killed his wife, Nataliya, and the couple’s teenage son, Alexandr, in their apartment located in the 13800 block of Oxnard Street on Dec. 26, 2018.
Glukhovskiy initially told police that he arrived home to find his wife and son dead, authorities said.
LAPD released the following statement following the arrest:
“This horrific loss of life is incredibly disturbing, and the fact that the accused is a civilian employee of the LAPD makes it even more troubling. No individual is above the law and this Department will work feverishly to bring anyone who commits such a violent act to justice.”
He is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday in a Downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
Glukhovskiy remains in police custody on a $2 million bond. If convicted as charged, Glukhovskiy faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or death. A decision will be made at a later date on whether to seek the death penalty, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Police now believe that there had been issues of domestic violence that had gone unreported and are continuing their investigations.
Justus Holmes, 24, an armed Syracuse New York security guard had shown signs of anger and had made threats against his ex-girlfriend.
On Sunday, things escalated as he went into the Denny’s in Salina and fired 10 rounds, striing several people.
Around 4:00 a.m. Sunday, investigators say Holmes went into the Denny’s on Lawrence Rd. in Salina, armed with a 9 mm handgun in his possession.
Sgt. Jon Seeber says before the shooting took place, Holmes had an argument with the woman who they believe is his ex-girlfriend. That’s when Holmes went to Denny’s confronting the woman and two men who were sitting near each other.
Deputies say he shot 10 rounds, injuring two customers, before running from the restaurant.
“This was a very rapid incident.” Seeber said. “Mr. Holmes went into the restaurant, got in a confrontation with this other male, and then began shooting and it was all done within a matter of minutes.”
Holmes was taken into custody Sunday evening. He’s being charged with attempted murder, assault, menacing and criminal use of a firearm.
He appeared in Syracuse City Court Monday morning where a judge ordered him held on $100,000 cash bail.
In court Monday, prosecutors said Holmes is a security guard at Allied Universal and has a pistol permit. A judge suspended that permit and ordered Holmes to turn over all his weapons.
On Tuesday, just outside Minneapolis MN a 78 year old driver of a school bus with one student aboard was shot while behind the wheel in an apparent road rage incident south of downtown Minneapolis and the suspected gunman who was quickly arrested, has now been identified as an armed security guard in uniform, authorities said.
While driving a small bus on Interstate 35W near Chicago Avenue another driver fired upon his bus.
The person was “alert and conscious” while being taken by emergency medical personnel from the scene ahead of surgery at HCMC for noncritical injuries, said police spokesman John Elder, who called the incident “mind-numbing” and said it “raises immense concern on so many levels.”
The shooting happened amid heavy traffic already slowed by a snowstorm.
Trooper Elder said the incident unfolded when several 911 callers reported a person outside of a vehicle pointing a gun at the school bus, and that shots were being fired.
“Preliminary investigation is that there was a motor vehicle crash that occurred and an altercation or dispute of some sort happened resulting in gunfire,” Elder said.
Elder said State Patrol officers arrived within a minute and arrested the suspected shooter. A gun, believed to be a semiautomatic weapon, was taken from him.
An image from a Minnesota Department of Transportation traffic camera showed one State Patrol trooper pointing a gun at a person standing near an open door of a black sedan that was stopped ahead of the bus, while another trooper stands behind the person. The State Patrol said on emergency dispatch audio in the moments after the shooting that the gunman appeared to be wearing a security guard’s uniform.
Authorities identified the suspect as Kenneth W. Lilly, 31. He was booked at Hennepin County jail Tuesday night, where he’s awaiting formal charges of second-degree assault.
Lilly, of Minneapolis, does not appear to have a criminal record in Minnesota beyond minor traffic violations. Lilly’s mother said he works as a security guard.
State troopers are still investigating what set the security guard off and caused him to use deadly force.
Often times, signs of aggression, stress, hostility, anger and problematic behavior are present and employers need to take these seriously even to the point of disarming their employees and sending them for treatment.
Only three states require that armed security guards pass a psychological exam prior to being issued their armed license.
