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Law enforcement evidence cones sit on the steps of the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse Monday, January 4, 2010 after a shooting that left a court security officer dead and another seriously wounded.
Monday, Jan. 4, 2010 | 5:24 p.m.
Johnny Lee Wicks
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Neighbors of Gunman React
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Neighbors of Johnny Lee Wicks, 66, are shocked after the lone gunman opened fire in the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse Monday morning. Wicks lived at the Sunrise Senior Village complex at 571 N. 30th St., where a fire broke out about three hours before the shooting.
Federal Courthouse Shooting
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A lone gunman walked into the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse in downtown Las Vegas and opened fire, killing a security officer.
Johnny Lee Wicks, identified as the man who opened fire at the federal courthouse Monday morning in downtown Las Vegas, has been at odds with the federal government over Social Security benefits for about two years.
That’s according to documents in a federal lawsuit he filed in Las Vegas against the Social Security Administration on March 7, 2008.
Wicks moved from California to Nevada in January 2008 and called the Social Security Administration’s Nevada office soon thereafter to change his address, according to an August 2009 report in the case by U.S. Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr.
Wicks likely was surprised and upset to learn that his Social Security benefits would be reduced due to the move because he would be losing a "California State Supplement’’ of $317 a month to his federal Social Security benefits.
Before moving to Las Vegas from San Bernardino, Wicks was receiving $974 monthly in Social Security and Supplemental Security Income payments; records in his lawsuit show.
He was receiving $886 monthly in Nevada before losing the $317 per month, records in his lawsuit show.
Foley’s report shows Wicks had in-person meetings with a Social Security case manager at the agency office at 1250 S. Buffalo Drive as well as telephone and U.S. mail contact with the agency before filing his suit.
"Plaintiff met with (the case manager), who was allegedly disrespectful and told the plaintiff to move back to California,’’ Foley’s report says.
Things may have gotten worse in February 2008 when Wicks received a notice from the Nevada Social Security office that he had been overpaid $317 and asked him to repay the money and saying that, otherwise, it would withhold $63.70 per month beginning in May 2008.
The agency later found Wicks did not need to repay the overpaid $317, records show.
Nevertheless, Wicks filed his lawsuit alleging that in cutting his benefits, his civil rights were violated by the agency because of his race (black).
"Lots of state workers and agencies have taken part in this scam, mainly for old blacks who are not well educated,’’ Wicks charged in the lawsuit, in which he had no attorney and represented himself.
Foley’s report recommended Wicks’ lawsuit be dismissed because Wicks had failed to exhaust the administrative appeals process.
U.S. District Judge Philip Pro on Sept. 9 dismissed the case, saying in a ruling he had reviewed and affirmed the recommendation of Foley.
As the lawsuit proceeded, it appeared Wicks suffered further setbacks as the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an appeal of a ruling and Wicks apparently failed to show up for an Aug. 17, 2009, hearing.
"Plaintiff is not present. The court waited an additional 10 minutes before continuing these proceedings to allow the plaintiff time to appear,’’ court minutes read. "As the plaintiff is not present, the court cannot hear any additional arguments on his behalf regarding the defendant’s motion to dismiss.’’
Sounds like a teaparty dittohead mad at the government. How can you have the constant anti-government and hateful anti-"government bureaucrat" rhetoric day in and day out on hate talk radio without it taking its toll on week minds.
Our government and its employees do a great job and the loony libertarians should be ashamed of themselves, they are to blame as well.
dhvincent1, the amount of social security you get per month is dependant upon how much you have paid in over your lifetime. Obviously this guy paid in very little. Then California "The Nanny" state adds a supliment. Too bad we dont have it. This guy obviously thought he was entitled to something he wasn't so he killed someone. What a low life may he rot in hell.
It is sad to think that if Mr. Wicks had been given a little more sensitivity and understanding in his past interactions with the Social Security Administration and District Court, these two deaths today may have been avoided. I read his complaint submitted to the District Court (posted on the Sun's web site), and it looks like the only one with any compassion for him and to try to help him was the office manager at his housing complex. (Kudos to that person!) For a SSA case worker to tell him to move back to California if he didn't like the reduction in his benefits is just plain unacceptable behavior and conduct. While his case was technically processed correctly, it does not appear he was treated with the respect he deserved, or indeed demanded. If someone had taken the time to Understand his situation and to explain the change to his satisfaction or possible go out of their way to help him in another way, we would not be reading this story today. I hope everyone who had any kind of interactions with him in the past will reflect on what they could have done differently to help him with his concerns and how if they had handled his complaints in a more effective and compassionate way, today's events may not have taken place. We could all stand to reflect on our negative interactions with others and could work harder to understand and adequately address the pleas for help we receive. I hope the Social Security Administration and District Court will examine what they can do in the future when similar complaints present themselves. Finding ways to treat people with dignity and guiding them to the help they need is not only the right thing to do, but it could save a life or two.
With billions of our tax dollars being poured into middle-eastern ratholes for the last 20+years, the American citizen gets a handful of S--T. Some guys are just going to explode like this dude.
Cold-blooded murder is never justified if one is civilized. Apparently not the case here.
The problem with virtually every Federal judge I have ever seen in action is that they are egomaniacal, arrogant, wedded to their highly technical case law and dismissive of "little people". If the judges named had taken the time to politely talk to the shooter, and explain things to him in great detail, we probably would not have seen these casualties today.
What's even sadder is that one of these two judges had a father who was just as nutty as this shooter. The old boy wacked down the bushes at my son's house and then imperiously crowed about the fact that his son was a Federal judge and my son dare not sue him.
The real shame of it is that it was probably easier for Mr. Wicks to pick up a gun than to access the legal resources he needed to resolve his social security claim. The dedicated men and women at Legal Aid of Southern Nevada do amazing work with the resources available to them, but it's programs like theirs which suffer first when the economy heads down.
He could have just gone back to California.
Everyone, even the lawsuit, says Social Security benefits were in dispute. It's actually SSI (Supplemental Security Income) which is administered by Social Security, which was in dispute. It's basically a form of federal welfare and is not paid out of Social Security funds. You also don't have to have paid into Social Security to get it. It has a state supplement which Social Security does not.
And it does change when you move into a new state because each state has a different amount of supplement.
The gunman refused to believe that simple fact.
Why did the number go from 974 to 886 before the 317 was deducted. Isn't it federal money based on a pre-set formular?Also ,does Nevada have a supplement
That is added in the way that the one in California is?
May the guard rest in peace and commendations to him and the marshals at the courthouse.
whats up with the gun - doesnt every one know that federal buildings have metal detectors? The poor guard who is stuck right by the door is probably the first and only person that someone can shoot if they bring a gun to a court house. This guy should in ****. Now he doesnt have to worry about the SS benefits.
Hope the family of the guard and marshall can get thru this hard time.
mred....yesterday you immediately blamed conservative talk radio. We now know this killer was a government cheeser who had not worked in 20 years. Just milked the taxpayers. When his benefits were reduced he took a play right out of the liberal playbook.....he claimed racism.
Admit the truth, I seriously doubt this man voted for McCain. This psycho killer is one of your own........a liberal!
Red probably has photos of Stalin and Chairman Mao on his bathroom wall to enhance the mood when he ponders the mysteries of the universe.
"Sounds like a teaparty dittohead mad at the government." --mred
More like an Obamacan who demands and expects more welfare money than he deserves.
I have read some comments almost defending Wicks' actions. Well, the US Marshal that died and the one who in the hospital had nothing to do with Wicks' SS benefit fight. My sympathies to both families.
Social security needs to end for those who don't want it. The payout is really bad, you can't pass it on to your family when you die, and if you're a black male you can almost forget about collecting more than you paid in.
And why on earth are Californian's getting more money?
"And why on earth are Californian's getting more money?"
Because they have a state tax everybody has to pay.
The fact is Social Security is unfair to African Americans. African American males have an average life expectancy of around 67 years. White women have a life expectancy of around 79 years.
The result: Social Security is a wealth transfer program from Blacks to Whites.
Furthermore, Social Security gets a lower rate of return than private stocks.
To make matters worse, Social Security benefits cannot be passed on from one generation to the next.
That means Social Security helps prevent African Americans from accumulating wealth and passing it on to the rest of the family when the die.
Social Security wasn't designed to be racist, but the outcomes certainly are. That is what happens when good people with big ideas act before they think things through -- good intentions do not always produce good results.
SS was ment to supplement income and protect women and children in case their main wage earner, the man, died. This man should have saved his money for retirement or should have gone back to work part time. Shooting innocent people because he was not happy with his handout is crazy. At least their will not be a costly court case he is dead. My sympathies to the victim and their families.
I know nothing of what actually happened and neither do the rest of you...
Having said that, I can understand how a Social Security Admin employee would explain that if he wanted the California supplement that he would have to live in California. Obviously, he would have to move back to California.
Wicks didn't get the response he wanted. I don't care how you phrased it, it wasn't going to happen. I doubt the Social Security person was overly friendly, but I doubt he was rude.
As for the issue of whether or not a person can survive on $650 or whatever a month, it depends... If you are living in Section 8 or subsidized housing and you are living on food stamps, you might survive. Its a tough go for sure.
At this point,there are a lot of people in this country who are in trouble, including families who are about to lose their homes due to unemployment or whatever...
Until this country starts manufacturing and/or making something its not going to get better. We can't buy everything overseas. Instead of subsidizing these goofy stimulus projects, the government ought to be giving tax credits for the purchase of machinery and equipment that results in manufacturing jobs.
Policies that protect American jobs wouldn't hurt either... A few tariffs won't hurt in the long run, maybe in the short run it might drive up prices at WalMart.
However, nothing justifies what Wicks did, but to be frank with, the system probably failed him. He was probably mentally ill. No one in their right might would do what he did.
The amount of SSI benefits (a federal program) is set by law. Some states supplement this amount. Most do not. This gentleman was receiving the maximum amount. No amount of lawsuits or court hearings would have changed that. No SSA employee, legal aid attorney or federal judge has the authority to change the maximum amount of SSI benefits. Only Congress can change the maximum amount of SSI benefits. Only the Neveda state legislature can create or augment state supplemental benefits for SSI beneficiaries. So filing a lawsuit was a total waste of time. It's like filing a lawsuit against the government because you're not yet old enough to vote but you want to vote anyway. The courts don't have the authority to change the voting age. Only legislatures can do that. There is no justification for taking the life of another human being unless your life or the lives of others are in imminent danger. The killer does not deserve our sympathy for his actions which were not justified. He had a choice. It is the guards that deserve our sympathy because they did not. It is the epitome of self-centeredness and selfishness to take the lives of innocents because we think we've been mistreated by the system.
Social Security is one of the most successful government programs of all time. It is a pact between generations. It has literally lifted millions of Americans out of poverty since its inception. While blacks may not receive as much in retirement benefits over their lifetime because they have a shorter lifespan, they do receive disability benefits at a higher rate than the general public, their survivors (spouses and children) receive survivor benefits at a higher rate than the general public and their benefits are higher as a percentage of their contributions to Social Security because benefit formulas are weighted to give proportionately higher amounts to those with lower earnings. These facts are true of all poor segments of our society, not just blacks.
There are only so many ways to explain to someone he is already receiving the maximum benefit possible. The fact he filed a lawsuit over this matter indicates to me he just didn't get it, didn't want to get it or he had a screw loose. It is ludicrous to blame the Social Security worker or the judge for his actions. Neither of them can change the law as it is written. There is no excuse for the shooter's actions, period. He is the one responsible for this tragedy and no one else.
If we didn't have social security and that man invested that income (instead of paying the payroll tax) he could have had at least 4 times as much from the private stock market.
Mudd,
4 out of 5 elderly African Americans earn 50% or more of their income from Social Security. I think about 30% recieve all of their income from Social Security.
Social Security DESTROYS low-income peoples ability to save for the future and to pass wealth from one generation to the next. It has become a poverty trap for low-income people and African Americans.
Social Security should be privatized for those who want to keep and invest their own income.
Without social security we would all earn UP TO 13% more income - your "contribution" plus the "employer contribution"
Social security's "rate of return" is considerably lower than the private market which averages 8 to 10% over a 30 year period. Social Security has been below 3% and will continue to shrink has the tax base shrinks and population ages.
How disheartening to see the number of those posting comments here who seem to be apologists for the shooter. As an attorney intimately familiar with the social security appeals process, I not only am heartbroken by this senseless loss of life, but also shocked that other American citizens would not UNIFORMLY condemn the use of firearms to avenge a dispute over $300 a month in government benefits. Mr. Wicks apparently chose to kill someone simply because he didn't get the answer he wanted. I don't doubt that his response could be attributed to some sort of mental disorder. But how did we as a society reach a place where ordinary citizens believe that gun violence is understandable or even justified if a social security employee was rude, or a panel of federal appellate judges was impatient, or the "system" didn't take the time to coddle a disturbed individual without an attorney who refused to take no for an answer? The dead security officer gave his life to protect people who serve the public in jobs that often involve disappointing people who insist they are "entitled" to benefits to which they have no legal right. He and others like him deserve far more respect than is reflected by those wasting their sympathy on the shooter. Mr. Wicks' death is a tragedy of his own making. The court security officer and deputy marshall, on the other hand, are heroes.
TPatty:
To point out that the disability system is largely inaccessible to the legally unrepresented is hardly being an "apologist" for a man who allegedly opened fire on two people (and who paid the ultimate price). There is something truly wrong with our society when it is easier for the disturbed, the sick and the discontented to obtain and use firearms than it is for them to get the legal resources they need. If any good is to come from yesterday's horrible events, we need to move beyond the usual blather about how heroic the police are (self-evident) and look at how an incident like this can be prevented in the future by changing the conditions which gave rise to it, rather than building bigger fences, taller walls, etc.
It is true that a person could conceivably get a much higher rate of return on his Social Security contributions if he invested them in the private stock market, the operative word being "could". If a person invested that money in the stock market and retired in 2008 when the market was in free fall, he would have been wiped out.
If Social Security contributions went into the stock market instead, blind luck would determine how much we receive in retirement benefits. If we happen to retire when the stock market was high, we would receive a windfall. If we happen to retire during a downturn, we might get a very low pension. Two people might pay the same amount over their lifetimes and one get two or three times more than the other because he happened to retire when the stock market was doing well. One person could earn twice as much as another and the second one get a higher pension because he retired in a bull market. How does that reward industriousness? Most people don't want to pay Russian roulette with their retirement. How could they comfortably plan for retirement if they have no idea what they will get?
What happens to the worker who can't put anything into the stock market because he is left a quadriplegic at age 25 due to a car accident? Social Security will give him a benefit proportionate to his earnings before becoming disabled. Under Social Security, the same would happen to the family of that 25 year old worker if he dies in the accident. He might be able to get a disability or survivor pension from a private insurance company that would match Social Security benefits, but that pension would be only as good as the insurance company issuing the policy. If the insurance company failed, like AIG, he might get nothing. Social Security has been paying out benefits since 1937 and every beneficiary has gotten exactly what the law allowed, not a penny less.
The fact remains that when Social Security was implemented in 1937 about 95% of the country's workers were not saving anything. Even today, many people are living day to day and saving very little and taking out what they do have in times of emergency. Poor people are more unlikely than the general public to save up money to pass onto later generations. Social Security is our lifenet. It was never designed to make people rich, just give them the bare minimum to get by on when all else fails. It has been very successful at its stated purpose.
Hated the government, had relationship problems, and substance abuse problems --sounds like some talk show hosts.
I heard a hate-talk radio host (and past CC Republican official) say it was the government that caused this, people too reliant on the government etc blah blah.
mred is such a moron.
this guy was OBVIOUSLY a liberal that thought he should get something from the government instead of looking for a job.
once again, the liberal "let's be nice to criminals and give them a second...third...fourth chance" has proven to be a failure.
if you want this nonsense to end, vote republican so we can throw guys like this onto the table and stick a needle in him.
Patrick is there anything in this life that is not racist? Blacks pay for whites??? Let's take color out of it and compare apples to apples. How about comparing the work hours put in. How about the guy who worked 40 to 60 hours a week for over forty years. How about the guy who works 3 years and makes a ton of money. How about the guy who works a couple of years out of 40 and collects from the government and then gets social security. How about that white woman who lives to be 79 but worked 62 of those years. I've heard your racial argument before and to turn everything into race is despicable and is getting very worn. People who might have been colorblind in the past are even getting annoyed at the constant race card stunt. Just exactly why do black males have a lower life expectancy in the first place.
When people become so dependant on the Gov. to provide for them, they lose their pride and ambition. This guy was a common criminal and wanted his 'piece of the pie' and was willing to kill innocent people even though it wouldnt get him what he wanted. He should have never been let out of jail.
This shooter is just the tip of the iceberg guys. Expect to see more of the same in the coming months. The government workers here really are unprofessional. Nevada treats retired veterans like second-class citizens, too.
Don't you just love it when the very officials who are charged with the health and welfare of their citizens do everything they can, short of outright ordering them into gulags, to set their citizens up for failure in an attempt to force them to leave.
Senators Reid and Ensign? You two are horrible trolls. Governor Gibson? You are morally and ethically unfit to serve in any public office higher than dog catcher. Mayor Goodman? You are very selfish and very vain for a man of your looks. Why don't you gaggle of morons get a clue and do something for the citizens here, for a change, instead of kow-towing to your rich friends?
stevem--- what in the hell,, you and your idiot remarks are why there is so much racism in this country... Its obvious your part of the problem and the solution you want no part of whatsoever...
Anyways this guy had a problem with the government and wasnt going to take any answer,, reply or whatever unless it was to get the money.. He thought he deserved it and was disrespected and abused by the system in his eyes..I would hope there are not others with the same intentions.. You get what you got and thats it.. He should of moved back to cali and 2 lives would not have been taken... Wonder why he didnt show up for court,, thats part of the reason he lost his case.. He cant blame except himself for that....
oh, so it's ok to call me, a white man with some pretty factual statements...even though they sting a little...a "moron", "idiot", but if i call a liberal those same things, i'm an idiot?
and geenab65...how do YOU know my business is failing? are you a client? a vendor that i haven't paid?
the black population DID jump up and down when o.j. simpson got off, did they not? yes or no? everyone has SEEN that video.
is that statement NOT true? of COURSE it is. and in typical liberal fashion you can't admit it, so you deny it.
How did such a 'disturbed' individual get an automatic gun? Oh yeh, they are advertised on the roof of our cabs! Which system failed the guards? Social Security or lack of gun ownership enforcement? This is not a race issue. Frustration knows no color or ethnic people. Half the world hates and distrusts the US government, why is anyone surprised this lonely, frustrated man in Las Vegas also killed innocent people?
"and geenab65...how do YOU know my business is failing? are you a client? a vendor that i haven't paid?"
the black population DID jump up and down when o.j. simpson got off, did they not? yes or no? everyone has SEEN that video.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Your business is failing and we both know it.
I'm black and NO, I didn't jump up and down when OJ was acquitted. I knew he had done it and the video did NOT show every single black individual on this earth jumping up and down, so when you generalize, you do show your ignorance which can translate to racist. You're not an idiot racist, you're just ignorant...plain and simple.
Social Security. It's hard to live on, but it's better than nothing at all...I feel blessed that at least I can live on this. I also have help with housing so it makes it a heck of a lot better. I have to say thank you to the United States for helping me.. and I mean the people of the USA who work hard and pay taxes. If I could I would work. I can't. I have tried and tried. Yes its very hard to live on but..at least I am living and have a roof over my head. If I didn't have a roof over my head.. I think I would go crazy. I don't know how the homeless who live on Social Security can live without a roof over their heads. So thank you all for your kind support. I really do appreciate it. I will never complain..
Thank God it wasn't a Mexican!
It amazes me how many people want to use this site as a billboard for their petty twisted agendas. What we have here is a person who decided that he did not want to accept the verdict of a legally consituted court, so he got himself a shotgun and this numbnut took it out on people who had NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS GRIEVANCE.
Sounds like some terrorists I've read about recently.
The numbnut died. Unfortunately, he took somebody else totally undeserving with him. Focus on the facts, people !!
This tragedy is a real shame!
The Ret. police officer's family deserve our condolences.
The security of the courthouse needs to be reexamined, to see if there could be some improvements.
The shooter may have been stopped, if there were better security at the door like double doors. that have a metal detector and an ex-ray machine.
No expense is too great to save human lives.
stevem is a typical racist!
If this person was white, then would this be a justifiable crime?
We seem to have come a long way in race relations, but you will always have a large number of small-minded people that blame people's short-comings on their race.
This shooter was an extremely disturbed person, and no one saw this coming. Either they didn't see the signs or were apathetic to his violent nature.
We as a society, have to become more compassionate and more aware of people such as the shooter. He was a felon and needed to have more attention, than normal people.
It seems to me that we can learn some lessons from this tragic crime, if we are willing to deconstruct the factors that led up to the shooting.
I fear that this will not happen, because of the stagnant thinking in security circles and the apathy at SSA.
Outside consultants would to have examine these problems, and the gov't. probably won't hire them to do it for various reasons.
A white middle aged proud liberal wrote this.
Oh by the way we live in a center-left country.
The proof is the last two elections.