By Bob Johnson, Associated Press
Geneva, AL – Officials say the man blamed for the worst massacre in Alabama history was depressed and frustrated with his inability to become a Marine or a police officer.
Authorities say 28-year-old Michael McLendon killed five family members and five other people before fatally shooting himself Tuesday.
Barry Tucker with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation says McLendon had told a confidant in the days before the shootings that he was depressed and unfulfilled. He'd been a Marine briefly but was discharged for falsifying information. He also tried and failed to become a police officer.
Authorities also say he left a letter saying he had killed his mother and planned to kill himself. He also mentioned a family dispute over a legal issue but authorities say he didn't reveal plans to kill any one else.