[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 A LIFE REMEMBERED, A COMMUNITY CHANGED

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. STEVEN C. LaTOURETTE

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 29, 2000

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, today I offer my deepest sympathies to 
the family of Walter A. Olson of Jefferson, Ohio.
  On Saturday, March 25 at about 6:30 a.m., Walter A. Olson was gunned 
down just 20 feet from his own front door in a random act of violence 
that has shocked this small, tight-knit community to its core.
  Mr. Olson, a husband, father of six, and grandfather of three, was 
innocently going about his morning routine on Saturday--a walk to a 
nearby cemetery where his mother and brother were buried. It was during 
this peaceful walk that Walter Olson crossed paths with a troubled, 22-
year-old neighbor toting a 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun. The black 
trenchcoat the young man wore was bursting with ammunition and 
concealed a second gun. The gunman, apparently hellbent on killing 
anyone in his path, spotted Walter Olson and shot him dead. He then 
continued walking down Center Street, reloading his shotgun as if 
nothing had happened.
  This tragic, senseless act could have led to much greater carnage had 
it not been for the Jefferson Police and Ashtabula County Sheriff's 
Department, which were quick to respond to neighbors' 9-1-1 calls. A 
gun battle ensued, and the gunman apparently refused to lay down his 
arms even after he'd been felled by officers' shots. A police dog, 
Cero--credited with saving the lives of other officers--dies in the 
line of duty after being shot by the gunman. Police struggle to find a 
motive for this unprovoked rage.
  Mr. Speaker, all too often we hear stories of disturbed, armed people 
walking into schools, daycare centers, restaurants and other public 
settings and opening fire indiscriminately on innocent people who have 
the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We watch 
the wrenching reports on the evening news with horror, and our hearts 
and prayers go out to the families. We hug our own children a little 
harder, and reassure ourselves that horrors like this will never befall 
our own community. All that changed on Saturday in the small town of 
Jefferson, Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, Jefferson, Ohio, is reeling in grief from the death of 
Walter Olson and the death of innocence of their community. The family 
and friends of Walter Olson have always known of his kindness, and 
strangers who never met him have been moved by the exemplary, humble 
life this religious, family man led.
  Walter Olson was an Ashtabula County native, a former auxiliary 
police officer in Jefferson, and a member of the Jefferson Exchange 
Club and the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. He'd worked for many years 
as a petroleum manager for Country Mark, Inc., and was working as a 
U.S. Census recruiter and field surveyor for Research Triangle 
Institute in Winston-Salem, NC, at the time of his death. He was a 
member of St. Joseph Calasanctius Church in Jefferson, where a memorial 
service was held this morning. He leaves behind his wife, Mary, the 
manager of the local Hardee's; his children Cindy, Isaac, Randy, Angel, 
Robin, and Timothy; and his grandchildren Alyssa, Lillian and Warren. 
Walter Olson was just 51 years old.
  Remarkably, Mary Olson holds no animosity toward the neighbor who 
shot and killed her husband, saying she ``hates that there's a child 
out there who needed help; that he was so sad that he felt he had to do 
something like this.'' Her words speak volumes about the power of 
forgiveness and the goodness of the human heart.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 19th District of Ohio, I extend prayers 
and condolences to the Olson family and the community of Jefferson. I 
have requested that a United States flag be flown over the Capitol in 
Walter Olson's memory.
  Walter Olson's time on Earth was not nearly long enough, but we can 
all take comfort knowing that he lived his life fully, that he loved 
and was dearly loved, and that he showered others with kindness. I urge 
the wonderful people of Jefferson to continue to reach out to each 
other in this time of grief and sorrow, and to realize that it will 
take time for this family and this community to heal. May God bless the 
family of Walter Olson, the community of Jefferson, Ohio, and the 
United States of America.

                          ____________________