Plane crash's into Austin building

[wulfbourne]

Authorities identified the pilot as Joseph Andrew Stack, a 53-year-old software engineer who owns a single-engine Piper Cherokee. Stack reportedly had tax problems, and his northwest Austin house was set on fire before the crash.

 

Investigators were looking at a Web site registered to a Joe Stack of San Marcos, Texas, that contained a lengthy, self-described "rant" attributed to him that was dated Feb. 18, 2010. NPR could not independently confirm the authorship of the posting.

 

The site lambastes the federal tax system as unfair and portrays an America that is divided between corrupt individuals who can make tax laws and other governmental functions that work in their favor and people who have become victims of the system.

 

The wandering diatribe concludes that violence "is the only answer."

 

"I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let's try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well," the note read.

 

It was signed, "Joe Stack (1956-2010)."

 

The Web site was later taken down by the host company, with a note stating that it had been done “due to the sensitive nature of the events that transpired in Texas this morning and in compliance with a request from the FBI.â€

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123848559&ps=cprs

 

 

They're still reporting it as "may be intentional" but it seems there is quite a bit of evidence that it was. I didn't see any posts about this on the first few pages and was wondering if anyone else had heard about this and what thoughts were about it.

[AngelBee]

They just talked it briefly on the Olympics coverage.

[bbsweetpea]

Yes. It happened down the road from my parents house (like they see it out their window). My son is there and called me to tell me about the "big smoke".

 

I am so happy that there were not many people hurt.

 

I also have a friend that is friends with the man's family (Stack's wife and daughter). He caught their house on fire before he crashed the plane. Luckily a neighbor got out the wife and 12 year old daughter. My friend is collecting clothes for them. I feel horrible for his wife right now. To have your husband do something like this AND try to kill you and your daughter.

 

Very sad day here in Austin.

[readwithem]

Yes. It happened down the road from my parents house (like they see it out their window). My son is there and called me to tell me about the "big smoke".

 

I am so happy that there were not many people hurt.

 

I also have a friend that is friends with the man's family (Stack's wife and daughter). He caught their house on fire before he crashed the plane. Luckily a neighbor got out the wife and 12 year old daughter. My friend is collecting clothes for them. I feel horrible for his wife right now. To have your husband do something like this AND try to kill you and your daughter.

 

Very sad day here in Austin.

 

Sad indeed.

 

Can you let me know (you can PM me) what their sizes are and how to get clothes to them? We have several bags ready to go to Salvation Army that I'd be happy to send to them.

[WiseOwlKnits]

This has been on our local news all day. They've said here that it has been declared a criminal act. He had been audited and was upset about it so he set his house on fire and then got in his plane and crashed it into an IRS building. Apparently he'd been in dealing with them about the audit and didn't feel like they'd responded enough or whatever.

 

Thankfully, there are only 2 poole injured and 1 (last I heard) who was unaccounted for. I don't get why or how someone could do that. He thinks they forgot he's a person or whatever, but then he crashed into a building with lots of innocent people in it who just happen to have a job working for the IRS. It makes no sense.