Currently on trial for the December 2000 killing of seven co-workers in the Massachusetts Internet software firm, Edgewater, Michael McDermott is a perfect example of what happens when an employer does not adhere to the warning signs of textbook homicidal danger. This is a brief synopsis of the rampage that took place on December 26, 2000 and the warning signs that his employer should have taken to heart.
December 26, 2000 started out as a normal day at work. Most of the employees who had come into work the day after Christmas were looking forward to a relaxed day. Around 11 a.m., Michael McDermott hung up the phone after having a conversation with his car's finance company, picked up a semi-automatic pistol, a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle, and then headed to the human resources department. …