Ex-Bush Aide Fatally Shoots Son, Himself

[CatWoman]

what IS it with these people and shooting people?

A former Bush administration official, after arguing violently with his wife Thursday night, shot and killed his 12-year-old son inside their McLean home, then turned a shotgun on himself and committed suicide, Fairfax County police said.

William H. Lash III, 45, was an assistant secretary of commerce from 2001 until last year, then returned to teach at George Mason University Law School in Arlington, where he had begun as a professor in 1994. His wife, Sharon K. Zackula, fled the house before the shootings, and police said yesterday they were not sure what ignited the murder-suicide in a first-floor bedroom.

Friends and neighbors described Lash as devoted to his only child, William H. Lash IV, who was autistic. Will Lash had just completed sixth grade at Haycock Elementary School in the Falls Church area, Fairfax school officials said. The father and son could often be seen side by side on the swing set in their back yard, one neighbor said, and the pair often attended Washington Nationals baseball games.

Police said they had not been summoned this year to the blue expanded Cape Cod-style home on Pathfinder Lane in the West McLean neighborhood. There was no record of any domestic complaints. Neighbors said the family kept a low profile.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/14/AR2006071400502_pf.html

[readmoreoften]

1. His wife, Sharon K. Zackula, fled the house before the shootings,

She left without the kid. I wonder if she knew he was in danger. I'm guessing not. That makes me wonder if he killed the kid just to spite her. Nice fella, in any case.

[MADem]

5. My very first thought. Very first. NT

[progdonkey]

6. same here... "death is better for you than being raised by that woman"

(Edited to add completely off-topic question... are you a Westie owner? Just asking because of the avatar, and my sister has one. They're great!)

[MADem]

8. Have had two, One has passed, the other is a pup!

I swapped my avatar from the POW flag to a westie in honor of my old girl that so politely and quietly, without fuss, died on me with little to no doggone notice. Slowed down, then had a coronary. Quick, simple--damn. Crushing.

Now we have a new one, great personality, totally different, a fine dog, a barrel of fun and certainly adored...but I still miss the old girl.

Eh....! A good dog is a good dog....

[progdonkey]

12. my sister's is also a pup...

He's extremely smart and has just the right balance of being laid-back and energetic, plus he's a cinch to train. (I had him eating on command the first time I tried it with him! And when I command him to go into his crate, he goes, though he does it in this extremely slowly mosey, like he's hoping I'll change my mind before he arrives at the crate and he wants to leave enough time for that as possible. So cute!)

Though he seems to have entered a puppy terrible twos (I think he was born Nov. '04, so he's almost there): you used to be able to leave a plate of fresh, hot food right at the edge of the coffee table, and he wouldn't touch it, but now he's begun going through bags of sealed food (maybe he should be a drug dog, considering he can smell the food through the packaging!), barking and growling (total paper tiger, though), etc. Maybe giving him the snip-snip (or just threatening him with it... ;-) ) will settle him down.

My sister did everything right in choosing this dog; studied all the breeds, then found a good Westie breeder, spent a lot of time with the puppies, and this little guy was just perfect.

That's sad to hear about your first dog, though that's good that it was quick for her--better than having to watch her slowly succumb over a period of years, at least.

[MADem]

14. She was a good old girl. Loyal, settled, smart.

She had a lovely life, just wish it could have been longer. Whaddaya do??? Ya move on...

[lostnfound]

2. So sad.

What a tragedy. How awful for mother and son.

[Erika]

3. Under W's OK for war and violence

this is becoming more and more common. Guns solve problems is the GOP mantra.

How sad for this family.

[MADem]

4. Polsby said "there was nothing" to suggest that Lash was troubled.

Well, I'd say shooting your grammar-school child is one helluva clue.

Sick, selfish fucker.

[Prophet 451]

7. Two responses

Firstly, I do feel sympathetic to the wife/mother who must be asking herself all kinds of questions right now.

However, how many people with possible insight into teh Bushistas high crimes and misdemenours is that who've died recently? Ken Lay obviously, this guy, wasn't there another one? If the Clinton Chronicles (unmitigated shite though it was) can make a bundle out of even less, why is Pat Robertson not hawking this all over TBN?

[newsguyatl]

9. first sign he's troubled

... he's a black republican.

[SensibleAmerican]

10. Please don't bring race into this

Violence transcends race.

(I know this wasn't your intention, but this case in addition to the Allen case is fodder for the racists who like to paint all blacks as bad people.)

[CatWoman]

11. I get his drift

black Republicans are bad people.

[Bosso 63]

13. Autistic

That's the word that jumped out at me, not "Black" not "Republican". I don't think it was to spite his wife either, the key word in any analysis of this situation is "Autistic", and if you don't understand that, count yourself as fortunate.

[conflictgirl]

15. I agree, that's the word that jumped out at me too.

Tragic situation all around. :(

[pitohui]

16. me three that's the word that jumped at me

i wonder if he thought his son could not survive w.out him if he committed suicide

it's wrong what he did but he may have thought his wife was better off w.out him and his son to "drag" her down, the "logic" of suicide works like that