Police: still no motive in Parks Department workplace shooting
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SEATTLE -- Police are building a case against Carolyn Piksa, but one crucial piece of the puzzle is still missing: a motive.
Investigators still don't know why the longtime city employee allegedly shot a co-worker in Seattle on Friday. They do, however, face tough questions about her mental health.
Piksa's friends and family want to know why she was allowed to return to work after a leave of absence if she wasn't fit to be back at work.
Seattle police say the motive for Friday's workplace shooting is still unclear, but family and friends say it was clear that Piksa had mentally unravelled. They say her sister's execution-style murder in 1985 laid the groundwork, and a recent home burglary set her off.
"She started to develop paranoia and she expressed to me that she felt unsafe in her home," said Piksa's nephew, Cody Shearer.
Family members say Piksa's dog was killed in that home burglary, though investigators say there's no mention of that in the police report.
Police have also been digging through Piksa's personnel files with the city and say doctors had cleared the 25-year veteran of the Parks Department to go back to work after a leave of absence.
"We know that she had the necessary releases to be at work. It's not our job as police to second guess medical opinion. It's our job to investigate a crime," said Seattle Police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb.
After her daughter's first court appearance on Saturday, Piksa's mother said she would stand by her daughter.
"We wouldn't be here supporting her if she wasn't a wonderful girl," said Frances Hilliard.
Piksa is scheduled to be back in court on Wednesday, which is the deadline for prosecutors to file charges. The victim, Bill Keller, remains in serious condition at the ICU at Harborview Medical Center.
Investigators still don't know why the longtime city employee allegedly shot a co-worker in Seattle on Friday. They do, however, face tough questions about her mental health.
Piksa's friends and family want to know why she was allowed to return to work after a leave of absence if she wasn't fit to be back at work.
Seattle police say the motive for Friday's workplace shooting is still unclear, but family and friends say it was clear that Piksa had mentally unravelled. They say her sister's execution-style murder in 1985 laid the groundwork, and a recent home burglary set her off.
"She started to develop paranoia and she expressed to me that she felt unsafe in her home," said Piksa's nephew, Cody Shearer.
Family members say Piksa's dog was killed in that home burglary, though investigators say there's no mention of that in the police report.
Police have also been digging through Piksa's personnel files with the city and say doctors had cleared the 25-year veteran of the Parks Department to go back to work after a leave of absence.
"We know that she had the necessary releases to be at work. It's not our job as police to second guess medical opinion. It's our job to investigate a crime," said Seattle Police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb.
After her daughter's first court appearance on Saturday, Piksa's mother said she would stand by her daughter.
"We wouldn't be here supporting her if she wasn't a wonderful girl," said Frances Hilliard.
Piksa is scheduled to be back in court on Wednesday, which is the deadline for prosecutors to file charges. The victim, Bill Keller, remains in serious condition at the ICU at Harborview Medical Center.
This woman had previously violated gun laws in unlawfully owning a gun, how will more laws stop people like this?Â
@NW-Economist  Â
I read that the arrest was made in Oregon, and was not forÂ
unlawfully owning a gun, but was for the illegally concealedÂ
carrying of one. One must be aware that not all states honorÂ
a Washington State CPL (at least 22 do honor it, but OregonÂ
is not one of the 22).
Washington's CPL (formerly CWP) is not recognized inÂ
Oregon.
@NW-Economist Do you know the details about her unlawful possession in Oregon? I tried searching but couldn't find anything.
@DarkParty @NW-EconomistNo, not sure what they were, but apparently they exist.Â
Oh, I see. It's someone ELSE'S fault that she shot someone. Â Got it. Â Not her fault. She's a "wonderful girl" who has destroyed someone else's life. But instead of supporting the person she shot, they choose to blame everyone else.Â
This story highlights the problems with both mental illness itself (much of the diagnosis and treatment depends on self-disclosure from the patient; if they don't disclose, there's no "test" for their stability if they have the capacity to act and speak normally)... and the system, which too many times does not want to penalize someone by withholding their job even when there are questions about their ability to serve (be released, etc.).
There may not be a motive. When someone is not in their right minds, the thoughts they have are not rational. This is why our mental health system doesn't work; it depends almost entirely on those who may not be rationial to make rational decisions about their care, disclose their true thoughts and beliefs (which many mental illnesses pull off the rational track), etc. Â
yeah, why would u shoot that guy?
Sounds like their going to pull out all the cards on this shooting, mental history, past crimes, dead pets, loading up the excuse train....
Yeah seriously, why did you shoot that guy?