Fairchild Air Force Base Hospital Shooting Remembered

May the information contained on this site serve as a reminder that we must trust our intuition. We must not become complacent. Until society can prevent Active Shooters, Law Enforcement and lawfully armed citizens need to be at the ready to stop them. I hope the Law Enforcement Community and others will learn from the Incident Details and be prepared to respond to an Active Shooter.

There were many heroes at the hospital that day. Many of them did not receive public recognition.  I am writing a book about the shooting, the history behind it and the aftermath that followed.  It will be an in depth source of information covering all aspects of the Fairchild shooting. It will finally depict some of the heroic actions of the people who were at the hospital that day, who risked thier lives to protect and provide medical care to others.

My name is Andy Brown; I served ten years in the Air Force as a Security Policeman.  I was a patrolman at Fairchild AFB in 1994. I was twenty-four years old.

I refused to become complacent and maintained a high level of awareness and a Warrior Mindset.  I sought training outside of what was provided by the Air Force. I practiced marksmanship with my personal handgun, a clone of the Beretta M-9 we carried on duty.  I read books on Officer Safety like those available from Calibre Press. From those books, I learned to mentally rehearse lethal force scenarios and to be aware of my surroundings.

These preparations were put to use on 20 JUN 1994 when I responded to the call of "an individual in the hospital running around with a shotgun". (it was later found to have been a MAK-90, AK-47 clone)

I was the first on scene and confronted the killer who outside the hospital, on Graham Road. I ordered him to drop the weapon, he refused and ran toward me firing his rifle. I fired four rounds, two of which found thier mark and killed him.

I have never felt remorse killing Mellberg, but I was troubled by the loss of life. I experienced a multitude of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms over the years. I have met others who were there that day, citizens, medics, and cops, who were or are, also traumatized.

The biggest lesson I have learned from this is to get counseling soon after a traumatic incident. I do not believe I would have developed PTSD had I pursued counseling. Not long after the shooting, I saw a counselor but was relieved of duty and had my weapon taken from me because of it. I should not have let that stop me from talking out my issues but I did. I stuffed all the feelings and emotions I had and allowed them to develop unchecked.

With the passage of time and perseverance, and some helpful programs offered by the Spokane VA, I have overcome most of my symptoms of PTSD. Some I may never overcome, but I am now able to enjoy life and experience the joy that comes from having a young family. If you are struggling with the aftermath of trauma. Remember to never stop the search for more complete healing.  Also remember you are not alone on the path to recovery.

Stay Aware, Stay Safe.

- Andy Brown