Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerome Thornton speaks June 20 about his experience during the memorial observance of an active-shooter incident at Fairchild Air Force Base that occurred June 20, 1994.
Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerome Thornton speaks about his experience during the 30-year anniversary memorial ceremony of an active shooter incident at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, June 20, 2024. Thornton was working in the base hospital on June 20, 1994.
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE - Base leaders and community members gathered June 20 to honor the victims of a tragic shooting that occurred 30 years ago.
The memorial observance remembered the lives lost and those affected by the deadliest mass shooting in Spokane County history.
On June 20, 1994, Dean A. Mellberg, a 20-year-old former airman, entered the Fairchild Air Force Base hospital annex armed with a MAK-90 assault rifle. His attack began with the fatal shooting of Major Thomas E. Brigham, a psychiatrist, and Capt. Alan W. London, a psychologist, who had both recommended his discharge from the Air Force.
Mellberg continued his rampage through the hospital, ultimately killing four individuals, including an 8-year-old girl, and injuring 22 others.
The June 20 memorial service was led by Bilbo and other 92nd Air Refueling Wing leaders. It included a moment of silence, speeches and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. The event served as a solemn reminder of the shooting and honored the resilience of the base's community.
The victims of the 1994 shooting were Major Thomas E. Brigham, psychiatrist; Capt.Alan W. London, USAF psychologist; Anita L. Lindner, a dependent spouse; Christin F. McCarron, an 8-year-old visitor; and Michelle Sigmon's unborn child.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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