Mike Boettcher: The life of the White House shooting suspect

Mike Boettcher

Q: What is the reaction of Robert Pickett's neighbors and friends?

Boettcher: They are, of course, shocked that their neighbor was involved in something like this. But they are not totally surprised because he had quirks that at times concerned them. They describe him as a very quiet man who kept his yard very neat, who was friendly enough when they spoke to him. But he would suddenly disappear for weeks on end about this time of year, even though he was a tax accountant. He would go somewhere, no one knew where, for sometimes up to three months during the busiest tax time of year. He confided to one of his tax clients that he had attempted suicide. So, yes, they are surprised that he would go to the White House and try to perhaps commit suicide in front of the White House. No, they are not surprised that he might be capable of taking his own life or putting himself in the position where his life would be taken.

ALSO Text of Pickett letter

RESOURCES Location of White House shooting

ALSO Accused gunman 'had emotional problems,' friend says Armed man near White House spurs swift response Past incidents at the White House

Q: Is there any indication of why he chose to travel to the White House?

Boettcher: A man who has known him for 12 years, Steve Yurks, who is a client a of Mr. Pickett’s, said Pickett would occasionally pick up and go to Washington, he said, to meet with an attorney who was going to help him in some new legal action against the IRS. So, he was not surprised that he went to Washington. Mr. Yurks had talked to Pickett as late as Friday. Pickett gave no indication that he was taking a trip, but sometime between Friday and Sunday, he left for Washington D.C., because his Sunday paper is still sitting on his front porch of his house.

Q: Where did Pickett get his weapon?

Boettcher: The weapon was bought from a store called Caseys Pawnshop about a three mile drive from his home. It was bought in February of 2000, almost one year ago. A store manager said that they ran a national criminal background check and it came back negative. They sold him the weapon and don’t remember if they sold him any ammunition

Federal agents have already been to the store to get the records and are taking them back to their office to analyze them.

Q: What will be done with the evidence taken from the house?

Boettcher: We are told by Evansville police that the evidence taken from the house which consisted of boxes of papers, computer hard drives, audio cassettes were all taken to the Secret Service office in Indianapolis where it will be analyzed there by federal agents.

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