Nineteen years ago, 61-year-old Richard Glassel entered a Peoria community center and started shooting.
On April 19, 2000, Glassel, armed with a rifle and two handguns, entered the Ventana Lakes Community Center in Peoria.
Glassel had a series of complaints against the Ventana Lakes Home Owners Association and took his revenge by shooting into a room full of people, killing two HOA members and injuring two others.
One of Glassel’s complaints was that cars would park in front of his home at the community mailbox. He dealt with the situation by parking his car in front of the mailboxes. After several requests for him to move his car, the HOA had it towed.
Glassel also had issues with landscapers trimming around his home, when HOA members tried to explain that the landscape maintenance was needed, he became belligerent. The HOA then filed a lawsuit against him.
Later, Glassel’s home was foreclosed upon, and he moved to California.
He wasn't heard from again until returning to Arizona the day before the April HOA meeting. He cleaned out a storage locker where he kept weapons and ammunition.
As he entered the building, he saw one couple coming out and said, "You not going anywhere, go back and sit down." The couple yelled a warning saying, "He's got a gun!" to which Glassel replied, "I'm going to kill you all."
Glassel fired eight shots hitting two people and killing two other people. A man confronted Glassel as he was walking in, tackled him and struggled for control of the rifle.
Glassel managed to get off one more shot hitting another man in the foot, causing him to lose his toe.
Several others joined in and held him down until police arrived.
"I'm getting even."
When asked why he did it, he responded by saying, "I'm getting even."
The trial court gave Glassel two death sentences for the murders and 351 years in prison for multiple counts of attempted murder.
Glassel died on death row on January 17, 2013
