Dean Allen Mellberg

Dean Allen Mellberg was born in 1973 in the United States. Public records and later investigations indicate that from adolescence onward, Mellberg exhibited significant psychological and behavioral difficulties. He enlisted in the United States Air Force as a young adult, but his military career was marked by repeated concerns regarding his mental fitness for service.

During basic training and subsequent evaluations, Mellberg underwent multiple psychological assessments. Air Force psychologists documented symptoms consistent with developmental and personality disorders, including traits later described as mild autism, generalized anxiety disorder, and paranoid personality disorder. Despite these findings, Mellberg was initially permitted to complete training and remain in uniform.

Mellberg was later transferred to Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base for further psychiatric evaluation. Although two Fairchild-based psychologists, Major Thomas Brigham and Captain Alan London, determined that Mellberg was unfit for continued military service, external pressure — including congressional inquiries initiated by Mellberg’s mother — resulted in his reinstatement and reassignment to Cannon Air Force Base.

At Cannon AFB, Mellberg’s behavioral problems persisted. Within months, he was again evaluated and formally discharged from the Air Force as unfit for service. Investigators and later psychological experts suggested that Mellberg perceived the loss of his military status and uniform as a profound personal rejection, which may have contributed to his subsequent actions.

Following his discharge, Mellberg traveled to Spokane, Washington, near Fairchild Air Force Base. In the weeks leading up to the attack, he purchased a semi-automatic rifle and ammunition and made deliberate preparations to return to the base where he believed his military career had been unfairly ended.

On June 20, 1994, four weeks after his discharge from the United States Air Force, Dean Mellberg carried out a mass shooting at Fairchild Air Force Base Hospital in Spokane County, Washington. At the time, the hospital was an ungated facility accessible to the public.

Mellberg arrived at the base by taxi, carrying a large duffel bag and a foam rifle case. He was armed with a Chinese-made MAK‑90 rifle, a civilian variant of the AK‑47, equipped with a 75‑round drum magazine. Upon entering the hospital, Mellberg proceeded directly to the office of the two psychologists who had previously deemed him unfit for military service.

Inside the office, Mellberg shot and killed Major Thomas Brigham and Captain Alan London. He then moved through the hospital corridors, firing indiscriminately at staff, patients, and visitors. Among those fatally wounded was Christin McCarron, an eight‑year‑old girl who was present at the facility with her family. Mellberg continued the attack outside the building, where he shot and killed Anita Lindner in the parking area.

In total, 22 additional people were wounded, including a pregnant woman who was shot in the abdomen and later lost her unborn child as a result of the injuries sustained during the attack.

Mellberg exited the hospital and was confronted in the parking lot by Senior Airman Andy Brown, a Fairchild AFB Security Forces member. From a distance of approximately 70 yards, Brown ordered Mellberg to drop his weapon. Mellberg refused to comply and continued advancing. Brown fired four rounds from his service pistol, striking Mellberg in the head and shoulder. Mellberg died at the scene.

Subsequent investigations determined that Senior Airman Brown’s actions were justified and likely prevented further loss of life. He was later awarded the Airman’s Medal by President Bill Clinton for heroism.

The shooting prompted widespread scrutiny of military mental health screening, base security procedures, and discharge protocols. The incident remains one of the deadliest mass shootings on a U.S. military installation prior to the post‑9/11 era.