A wreath was left on the door of the Department of Social Service's Aiken Office Tuesday. Inside workers who were at the North Augusta Aiken office during Monday's shooting received counseling. Photo by Steve Shelton/Staff

State agency must decide what to do with North Augusta office in wake of triple killing

  Yesterday's shooting coverage

Web-posted September 18, 1996

By Kathy Steele
South Carolina Bureau

AIKEN - The Department of Social Service office in North Augusta will remain closed indefinitely - and maybe permanently - because of Monday's fatal shootings.

Plans are to keep the office closed until the agency can decide what to do next, said Jerry Adams, spokesman for the state DSS office in Columbia.

Emotion, not security concerns, is the overriding issue, he said.

``I think the workplace could be secured from a safety standpoint,'' Mr. Adams said. ``I think everyone was happy there. It worked well for their needs. But the trauma might be too traumatic. I suppose we'll always have an office in North Augusta, but whether we can ever go back in there is in doubt.''

Police say David Mark Hill, 36, of North Augusta walked into the DSS office Monday and shot three caseworkers in the head. Josie Curry and James Riddle died at Medical College of Georgia Hospital; Michael Gregory was found dead in a bathroom at the DSS office.

Mr. Hill shot himself in the mouth Tuesday and remained in critical condition at MCG. Warrants have been issued against him on three counts of murder, and one each of kidnapping and assault and battery with intent to kill.

DSS staffers, including some caseworkers from the North Augusta office, returned to work Wednesday at the Aiken office. The agency was closed Tuesday so employees could receive trauma counseling. Flags there, as well as at all DSS buildings in South Carolina, flew at half-staff in honor of the agency's slain employees.

And it was hardly business as usual at the Aiken office.

There were plenty of pauses for hugs and shedding tears, said Bill Walker, DSS director from Lexington County. As regional administrator for Region V, which includes Aiken County, he was in Aiken to help out in the aftermath of the tragedy.

``People are heartsick,'' Mr. Walker said. ``You're never able to prepare for this.''

A DSS memorial fund will be established to accept donations for the victims' families, he said, adding that details on where to send contributions will be announced today.

Mr. Walker said the agency is being flexible about work hours, particularly for those present during the shootings. They do what they feel capable of doing, he said about the North Augusta staffers.

Plans also call for a crew of volunteers from other DSS offices to help out temporarily, Mr. Walker said.

``What we've been promised (by the state) is enough workers,'' he said. ``Right now we're not sure what that number is.''

Mr. Walker said he expects to stay in Aiken about a week, and then visit periodically until some normalcy returns.

That apparently won't come quickly. Lynn Wade, who works for Helping Hands, an emergency children's shelter, said things don't feel right at the DSS office.

``It's a nervous feeling coming down here now,'' Ms. Wade said Wednesday as she left the Aiken office.

What would make her feel better?

``More security,'' she said.