Recent media reports have shown how prevalent workplace shootings are becoming. Perhaps an individual is fired and they become angry over it or someone is giving them a hard time at work. Perhaps the shooter was passed up for a promotion or they had an issue that was not addressed.

There are many reasons why individuals make the fateful decision to open fire in their workplace. What results, however, are injuries that last a lifetime and deaths.

One such case involves Andrew Engeldinger. Andrew’s parents tried for two years to get Andrew to get treatment for what they believed to be a mental illness. They did everything they could as he started to experience delusions and became more and more paranoid.

As it stands, Minnesota’s law does not allow for people to be forced to seek psychological treatment unless there is proof that they may harm themselves or others. Unfortunately, Andrew’s parents were shocked when they learned that Andrew, 36, went into his workplace and opened fire on all inside the building. Several were killed, which included a Minneapolis sign company owner, a UPS driver, and a number of employees. Andrew then turned the gun on himself.

Andrew was someone who didn’t believe he was ill, but his illness led him to make the decision to open fire on innocent people. While Andrew is an example of a small group of individuals with mental illness that turn to violence, it happens. A number of workplace injuries and deaths have occurred with mental illness being touted as the main reason why a person who is normally peaceful takes that route.

Doctors feel that something needs to be done about it or more incidents such as this will occur more. These incidents also contribute to the number of workplace injury and wrongful death lawsuits that are filed around the country. Typically, someone can be held responsible, whether it was due to a security breach that should not have happened, the shooter themselves, or someone who illegally sold the person a weapon.

In Andrew’s case, he was never actually diagnosed with a mental illness, but his family speculated because he thought he was being followed. He would also seclude himself in the basement of his bungalow, which is where police found thousands of rounds of ammunition and another gun in addition to the one he used in the shooting.