Bio 

Richard D. Herr was born in 1956 and lived in Delaware. By 1997, Herr was working as an Amtrak machinist at the company’s locomotive repair yard in Wilmington, Delaware. He had worked for the railroad for many years and had no publicly reported history of violent criminal behavior before the shooting.

Herr was known by some co-workers as “The Pigeon Man.” Reports stated that the nickname came from his unusual behavior and his belief that pigeons communicated with him. Some co-workers also described him as a loner who had become increasingly confrontational.

Before the shooting, Herr had reportedly complained about hearing ultrasonic noises that he said affected his body. An on-site occupational nurse had recommended that he receive a psychological evaluation as a condition of continuing work, but higher medical officials did not require it.

Co-workers later testified in civil litigation that Herr had been teased and that he had made threatening comments. Other testimony said he had been reprimanded by his foreman, John J. Jensen, for insubordination before the shooting. However, a later federal jury found that Amtrak could not have reasonably predicted the attack.

Murder Story

On April 10, 1997, Richard D. Herr entered or moved through the Amtrak locomotive repair yard in Wilmington, Delaware, armed with a 9mm handgun. Herr opened fire inside the repair shop, where hundreds of employees worked. He fired at least 15 shots during the workplace rampage. His foreman, John J. Jensen, age 41, was shot and killed. Two other Amtrak workers, manager John Fedora and electrician John Morrison Jr., were also seriously wounded.

Police responded to the repair yard while the shooting was still unfolding. Officers found Herr climbing toward an elevated catwalk above them. When Herr pointed his gun toward the officers, one of the officers fired and struck him. Herr fell about 25 feet to the shop floor and died at the scene. Because he was killed by police the same day, he was never arrested, tried, convicted, or sentenced.

After the shooting, John Jensen’s widow and daughter sued Amtrak, arguing that the company should have done more to address Herr’s behavior before the attack. The lawsuit described Herr as mentally ill and said he had been taunted by co-workers. In March 2000, a federal jury cleared Amtrak of liability. The jury found that Amtrak managers could not have predicted the shooting, partly because Herr had no prior criminal record or known history of violent acts.

Richard D. Herr’s final legal status was deceased after being shot by police during the workplace shooting.