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While the United States Postal Service certainly doesn't approve of the use of the term, "going postal" became an accepted part of slang language, recognized as early as 1993 when it was identified by the Los Angeles Times newspaper. By the end of 1993, there had been five mass attacks near or in postal facilities within a seven year time span.
In 1986 in Edmond, Oklahoma, Patrick Sherrill killed 14 employees and wounded six others before committing suicide. Patrick Sherrill was, at the time, employed as a postman (postal delivery person).
In 1991 in Ridgewood, New Jersey, a former postal employee, Joseph Harris, killed his former supervisor and her boyfriend at their home before going to the post office the next morning where he shot and killed two mail handlers.
Also in 1991 in Royal Oak, Michigan, Thomas McIlvane shot and killed four people before committing suicide. The murder/suicide occurred shortly after he had been fired from the postal service for having been insubordinate.
On the same day in May 1993, at two separate postal locations many states apart, a total of four people were...