Warnings Unheeded: Twin Tragedies at Fairchild Air Force Base

by Andy Brown

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Author: Andy Brown

Paperback:
Publisher: WU Press
ISBN 10: 0997863404
ISBN 13: 978-0997863406

Hardcover:
Publisher: Wu Press
ISBN 10: 0997863439
ISBN 13: 978-0997863437

"This nonfiction narrative is a page turner... you will not put it down until you finish it." —William Kelly, CMSgt, USAF, Office of Special Investigations (Ret.)

On 20 June 1994, a "dangerous" airman shot his mental-health doctors before going on a shooting spree at an Air Force hospital. Days later, a B-52 bomber plunged into the ground killing the crew and a pilot who was known for his reckless flying.

Warnings Unheeded is a suspenseful narrative from former Air Force criminal investigator Andy Brown. As a young military policeman, Brown responded to the hospital and ended the gunman's killing spree with a 70-yard shot from his Beretta M9 handgun. Now, after years of interviews and unprecedented access to records, letters, statements and journal entries, Brown tells the complete story behind the mass murder and the fatal plane crash. Using first-hand accounts, this narrative details the warnings signs that preceded the tragedies and reveals the leadership culture whose inaction endangered the community. This is an extraordinary story of ordinary men and women who became life-saving first responders, victims who fought to survive, and survivors who fought for answers, accountability and change. In a parallel storyline, Brown shows how he prepared for the deadly gunfight, describes his encounter with the gunman, and offers a candid insight into the hidden cost of becoming a "hero."

If you appreciate narrative nonfiction, biographies, or learning from history, read Warnings Unheeded now in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audio.

Mass murder and military aviation disaster that occurred suddenly... but not without warning.

*** Contains more than 70 images and photographs ***

What people are saying about Warnings Unheeded:

"A highly readable book ... from a unique source. Recommended for a wide audience." —Best-selling true-crime author, Ron Franscell

"In vivid and thoroughly researched detail, Andy Brown masterfully weaves two tragic stories ... this is an important and well-written read." —Gregory K. Moffatt, Ph.D., Author of Blind-Sided: Homicide Where it is Least Expected and A Violent Heart

"An absolute tour de force of non-fiction storytelling. This is easily one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read." —Amazon Review

"Best book I've read in some time. Without lurid details or overwrought prose, Andy Brown helps us understand what Fairchild AFB had to endure in those tragic days of June in 1994. With a clear and concise voice, he illustrates the events leading up to the twin tragedies with a thoroughness and professionalism I suspect he brings to every task he takes on. But this is no dry recounting of facts, and Brown's compassion for the victims is as clear as his prose. This book kept me up far later than I intended every night while reading it, and it will stay with me for the rest of my life. We are very fortunate that the man who stopped the shooter has written this book for us - doubly so that he has proven to be a talented writer. I highly recommend this book." —R. Jenson, Gray Dog Press

Review

"An amazing book. An instant classic. Staff Sergeant Brown is a true guardian who saved countless lives with supernatural marksmanship skill in a moment of great need, but he has also proven himself to be a true warrior-wordsmith who will save even more lives, as the lessons from this book are learned and applied in our current violent times. Absolutely "required reading" for law enforcement and mental health professionals, but also profoundly valuable for anyone who wants to understand violence and mental illness in our society today." -Lt Col Dave Grossman (US Army, retired) Author of On Combat, On Killing, and Assassination Generation

"There are specific lessons in this book that can help us to prevent lethal tragedy. Lessons for bosses, subordinates, and coworkers. Lessons for law enforcement, and for psychologists, and for human resources personnel. But there are also general lessons for all of us that can save lives, though perhaps not so dramatically nor so heroically as Andy Brown saving uncounted lives when he 'rode to the sound of the guns.'" -From the Foreword written by Massad Ayoob

"In vivid and thoroughly researched detail, Andy Brown masterfully weaves two tragic stories ... In parallel accounts he craftily weds the stories of the vivid dysfunction of a troubled young airman and the reckless arrogance of a senior officer and aviator. As Andy Brown clearly displays, if warnings had been heeded, the behavior of both men would not have led to disastrous ends. ... this is an important and well-written read." -Gregory K. Moffatt, Ph.D., Author of Blind-Sided: Homicide Where it is Least Expected and A Violent Heart

"Rich in fascinating detail and page-turning narration, Warnings Unheeded delivers memorable insights into the kind of slaughter that so often fills news cycles these days, and the resilience heroes need to fight back from the emotional toll of protecting other lives." -Charles Remsberg, Author of the Street Survival book series

From the Author

"Thank you for supporting my effort to share these stories and the lessons within". -Andy Brown

From the Back Cover

Written by the man who ended the shooting spree, using information garnered from interviews, reports, witness statements, medical records, letters and journal entries. Andy Brown's narrative reveals the events that occurred before, during and after the tragedies.

"Profoundly valuable for anyone who wants to understand violence and mental illness in our society today." --Lt Col Dave Grossman, author of On Combat and On Killing

About the Author

Andy Brown is an Air Force, Law-Enforcement veteran who has worked as a Patrolman and Criminal Investigator.

An avid reader of nonfiction, Brown enjoys learning from historical events. He credits Charles Remsberg's Street Survival books for helping him end an active-shooter's killing spree at Fairchild Air Force Base in June of 1994.

Brown's research into the mass-murder incident, and the aviation disaster that occurred four days later, led him to write Warnings Unheeded. He hopes others will benefit from the impactful stories and the valuable lessons contained within them.

After leaving the Air Force, Brown returned to the area of Spokane, Washington where he lives with his family and works for the Department of Homeland Security.

More information, including audio files of the police response, can be found at: fairchildhospitalshooting.com/incidents/

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Warnings Unheeded: Twin Tragedies at Fairchild Air Force Base