Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 21, 1995 TAG: 9501230067
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: VIRGINIA EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Tinsley: If you would, just tell me what took place regarding this incident. You can start at around midnight, if you want to, as to what you were doing and what led up to this situation.
May: I don't know what to say. I shot five people. OK, my girlfriend and I ... my girlfriend and I volunteered for the First Night, the New Year's Eve party downtown. We set up decorations in the Apco parking building and handed out candles on the courthouse steps, and it was feeling so good to be like doing good righteous things, you know.
And neither one of us, neither one of us drink. I do occasionally, but I try not to, and we were setting up the parking garage and there were some O'Doul's, you know, that near-beer s--- or whatever. Ah, we both had a few of those and my girlfriend came up and said, uh, "You know, I'd, I'd like some champagne tonight."
And I was like, "Well, are you sure?" Cause she's got two years of sobriety in AA, you know. I mean me, I was thrilled, and so we went and got some champagne and some beer.
We were drinking while we were handing out the candles, matter of fact ... [Later], my girlfriend and I decided to just go back to my house and sleep it off. And we got to my house and I had like fixed her a bed on the couch and, and I heard some people outside and it was some commotion. And, you know, I looked out and it was the girls trying to carry Frank [Selbe] in and he's, you know, a pretty big guy.
And I went over and figured I could, you know, give them a hand, you know, and help them out, and he was throwing up everywhere. ... And, uh, I ended up taking his gun. I was gonna take it to my house, and the next day when he sobered up and I sobered up, give it back. And, you know, everything would be fine.
Tinsley: Where did he have the gun when he was trying to get to it?
May: It was just right on top of his dresser. ... And I took it, and I was gonna go back over and me and my girlfriend were, you know, and there were some people in the yard, the neighbors behind me.
They were drunk and raising hell, and they were like, you know, "Hey, come over and drink with us." So I went over there and, you know, poured me a big glass of liquor, it was some bourbon or something and we got to drinking.
Tinsley: How long were you there, do you remember?
May: I don't really. ... Basically, I remember last night, but some of it's a big blur. You know, it's like a fnightmare. I wish I could just wake up and go to work and go on with my life. ... We were sitting there and we were all getting really drunk, and the other two guys, which I don't know who they were, got into an argument over some Marine corps or Navy stuff, you know.
About the Marines couldn't get there unless it was for the Navy and, you know, the Navy wasn't s---, they were pand all this and that. And, and I was like, you know, "Why don't both of you shut the f--- up?"
And then one of them turned around and grabbed me by the neck or by the shirt, you know, near the neck and stuck a gun in my face. And, and just like instinctively I knew I had, I had Frank's gun on me. And I took his gun out and stuck it up to the guy, and next thing I know BAM! I've, shot the guy!
Tinsley: Do you know if that was the person that was in the Marines or the Navy?
May: It was the Marine guy, I believe. ... I shot him and then his buddy and the other guy were coming at me, and I'm not the biggest guy in the world and I'm damn sure no bad ass, but I got scared and I, and I, I, I shot the both of them.
Tinsley: Do you remember what room you were in at that time?
May: I, vaguely I, I, I think, I think I shot somebody in the kitchen and the living room. I'm not sure. Did I?
Tinsley: I'll just let you go ahead and tell me what you remember at this time.
May: Or was everybody in the kitchen? Or in both rooms?
Tinsley: What about the two females?
May: They were there and they started to, you know, or was it three? I think I shot one, and then there were three and they were screaming, and it was real loud and, and I knew, I knew what I'd done. I knew things would never be the same, and I shot the rest of them.
Tinsley: What happened after you shot the last person?
May: I got the hell out of there. I was, I was so fscared my heart was beating like hell. I just wanted to get the hell out of there, and I, I ran back over to my apartment and my girlfriend was there. Well, there were already some police officers when I was coming through the yard, you know. Well, I ran up in the house cause I ... had this guy's revolver in my pocket. And I had the Glock [handgun] in my hand, I believe.
But when the cops came up, I think, I think I dropped it on the porch or something or over the porch or ...
Tinsley: Do you know if the Glock had any more rounds in it?
May: No, it was empty. It was empty cause I put one up to my head, and when I fired it, it just clicked cause I was gonna kill myself, too. And I remember, I remember dropping the gun, I think, and I ran up inside and I had blood all over me. My girlfriend went hysterical, and I told her, I said, "It's all over," and, "It's, it's all over. It's all fover."
Tinsley: Do you remember how long you remained in the house?
May: I'm in like two seconds probably. I just came in and I just like hugged her and kissed her and told her I'll never see her again. And she was crying and I, I ran down the hall and up into my attic in this house and jumped out a window onto a balcony and then jumped about I guess a story, story and a half, down to the ground. And, and all I could think of is running to my dad's house cause he'd know what to do. He'd know what to do.
Tinsley: When you got to your dad's house, did you wake him up at that time or did you stay outside of his home?
May: Uh, I didn't know how to tell the man. I mean, this is, this is the f"Twilight Zone" to me. I didn't know how to tell my father, "Dad, I shot five people."
by CNB