Suspected Killer Gave No Hint of Violence

As investigators continued to look into the deaths of the three U.S. Department of Agriculture employees who were shot during a meeting in Inglewood this week, more baffling details emerged Friday about the man who police believe was responsible for shooting two co-workers before killing himself.

Colleagues said it had been business as usual Wednesday morning, the day David Rothman, 51, allegedly took a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun into a meeting with his supervisors. Police said Rothman shot Clayton Iijima, 44, of Torrance and Morley Suzuki, also 44, of Redondo Beach before committing suicide.

A worker stationed at Los Angeles International Airport, where Rothman also was assigned, said no one had known that Rothman owned a gun.

They said there was no way to predict the violent outburst that took place during a meeting over work schedules.

“He was a funny bird, aloof, a little arrogant sometimes,” the worker said.

“He was an activist. He was always talking to people about the union, about getting involved, but he was not an antagonist.”

A friend speaking on behalf of Rothman’s family said his wife, Gail, also had no idea that her husband had a gun.

She said that Rothman, 51, hadn’t mentioned that he was upset with his colleagues nor had he been complaining about his job.

“He was very involved with work. He really liked his job,” she said.

The Rothman family spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said David Rothman’s wife and three children from a previous marriage were still in shock.

“They feel terrible about everything and are sorry for the impact it’s had on everyone,” she said.

Reading from a statement prepared by the family she added:

“Our family is in the midst of a tragedy, please give us time to grieve and respect our privacy. . . . Our heart goes out to the families of the deceased.”

Rothman, a canine handler, was president of Local 28 of the National Assn. of Agricultural Employees. He was meeting with his supervisors in that capacity to discuss the work schedules of agricultural inspection employees based at the airport.

There were indications that he didn’t always agree with his superiors. Police said they found a note that he may have filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. And about two years ago, officials said, he complained that management had neglected his airport patrol dog, Kojak, and forced the animal to retire because they didn’t want to operate on its nerve-damaged leg. The dog later died.

Larry Hawkins, a spokesman with the USDA, said the western regional office fully investigated the care given to the dog.

“That issue was concluded some time ago,” Hawkins said. “I really don’t think it would have contributed to this incident.”

Police said they hope to wrap up the investigation early next week.