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Edmond’s Dark Day: The Tragic Legacy of the Post Office Shooting

By On Location with Jerri and Matt /

The day began like any other. Postal workers were beginning their morning routines—sorting mail, making plans for their deliveries. But the usual hustle and bustle of an average workday was soon to be shattered. Patrick Sherrill, a part-time mail carrier known to his fellow mail carriers as “Crazy Pat,” was about change the lives of the local community forever. 

Sherrill entered the post office at around 7 a.m., armed with three semi-automatic pistols. He immediately went on a murderous rampage, shooting anyone within his sight. Within a matter of minutes, the scene had transformed from a bustling workplace to a chilling crime scene. Sherrill’s coworkers became victims, their lives cut short in an instant.

ABC NEWS VIDEO CLIP COVERING THE SHOOTING FROM AUG 20, 1986

EDMOND POST OFFICE

THE VICTIMS OF THE “GOING POSTAL” INCIDENT

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Jerry Ralph PylenBIRTH 14 Jul 1935nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 51)nBURIAL Gracelawn Cemetery Edmond, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Gracelawn Cemetery, Edmond, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.6697006 Longitude: -97.4792023

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Leroy Orrin PhillipsnBIRTH 28 Jan 1944nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 42)nBURIAL Fairview Park Cemetery St. John, Stafford County, Kansas, USA

Image Taken From: Fairview Park Cemetery, St. John, Stafford County, Kansas, USA
Latitude: 38.007838 Longitude: -98.745654

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William Frederick “Billy” Miller

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

BIRTH 29 Jan 1956nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 30)nBURIAL Mathewson Cemetery Piedmont, Canadian County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Mathewson Cemetery, Piedmont, Canadian County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.669795 Longitude: -97.798386

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Richard Charles “Rick” Esser Jr.

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Richard Charles “Rick” Esser Jr.nBIRTH 16 Nov 1947nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 38)nBURIAL Memorial Park Cemetery  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Memorial Park Cemetery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.6053009 Longitude: -97.4910965

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Betty Ann Rader Jarred

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Betty Ann Rader JarrednBIRTH 8 Feb 1952nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 34)nBURIAL Summit View Cemetery Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Summit View Cemetery, Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.8958015 Longitude: -97.4041977

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Patty Jean Husband

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Patty Jean HusbandnBIRTH 10 Nov 1938nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 47)nBURIAL Rose Hill Burial Park Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Rose Hill Burial Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.5313988 Longitude: -97.5369034

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Jonna Ruth Gragert

Patricia Ann Gabbard

Patricia Ann Gabbard
BIRTH 8 Jul 1939
DEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 47)
BURIAL Oakland-Knowles Cemetery Crescent, Logan County, Oklahoma, USA 

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Patricia Ann GabbardnBIRTH 8 Jul 1939nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 47)nBURIAL Oakland-Knowles Cemetery Crescent, Logan County, Oklahoma, USA 

Image Taken From: Oakland-Knowles Cemetery, Crescent, Logan County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.9124985 Longitude: -97.6211014

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Patricia Ann “Patty” Peacock Chambers

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Patricia Ann “Patty” Peacock ChambersnBIRTH 2 Apr 1945nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 41)nBURIAL Wyandotte Indian Cemetery Wyandotte, Ottawa County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Wyandotte Indian Cemetery, Wyandotte, Ottawa County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 36.8067017 Longitude: -94.7208023

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Judy Stephens Denney

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Judy Stephens DenneynBIRTH 28 Jan 1945nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 41)nBURIALCheatham Hill Memorial Park Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia, USA 

Image Taken From: Cheatham Hill Memorial Park, Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia, USA
Latitude: 33.9438504 Longitude: -84.6070989

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Kenneth Wade “Ken” Morey

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Kenneth Wade “Ken” MoreynBIRTH 21 Sep 1936nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 49)nBURIAL Pleasant Hill Cemetery Edmond, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Edmond, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.7247009 Longitude: -97.4246979

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Paul Michael “Mike” Rockne

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Paul Michael “Mike” RocknenBIRTH 15 Mar 1953nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 33)nBURIAL Memorial Park Cemetery Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Memorial Park Cemetery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.6053009 Longitude: -97.4910965

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Patti Lou Ford Welch

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Patti Lou Ford WelchnBIRTH 23 Nov 1958nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 27)nBURIALSunset Memorial Gardens Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Sunset Memorial Gardens, Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 34.6213989 Longitude: -98.5064011

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Thomas Wade Shader Jr.

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Thomas Wade Shader Jr.nBIRTH 18 Nov 1954nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 31)nBURIAL Arlington National CemeterynArlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA 

Image Taken From: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA
Latitude: 38.87711 Longitude: -77.06895

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THE SHOOTER
Patrick Sherrill

Patrick Henry Sherrill perpetrated the tragic mass shooting known as the Edmond post office shooting, killing 14 coworkers and injuring several others before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide.

Sherrill’s motives for the shooting remain unclear, although there were reports of conflicts with his coworkers and supervisors prior to the attack. Sherrill’s attack inspired the American phrase “going postal”. 

Grave / Memorial Public Easy walk

Patrick Henry Sherrill VETERANnBIRTH 13 Nov 1941nDEATH 20 Aug 1986 (aged 44)nBURIAL Watonga IOOF Cemetery Watonga, Blaine County, Oklahoma, USA

Image Taken From: Watonga IOOF Cemetery, Watonga, Blaine County, Oklahoma, USA
Latitude: 35.84709 Longitude: -98.38239

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