Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Man in Park Slayings Had Erratic Behavior

A man who fatally shot five parks employees, then killed himself, had long shown signs of erratic, threatening behavior, according to his disciplinary file. Fort Lauderdale, Fla., officials said that they first became aware of Clifton McCree’s behavioral problems in October 1994, when workers began complaining about him. That and a failed drug test led them to fire McCree from his beach-cleaning job on Dec. 9, 1994. McCree left behind a note, saying the shootings were “to punish some of the cowardly, racist devils” responsible for firing him. McCree was black; the shooting victims were white.