CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On a somber day in early April 1995, the community of Coastal Bend reeled from the loss of beloved Tejano singer Selena, only to be plunged into further despair. Days after the singer’s funeral, a tragic workplace shooting occurred at the Walter Rossler Company, resulting in the death of six people, including the gunman. This month marks 30 years since the massacre, and survivors continue to grapple with the memories of that fateful day.
Lisa Rossler, then a young employee at her father’s company, vividly recalls the terror. She was seated at her desk beside coworker Wendy Gilmore when former employee James Daniel Simpson entered the building. It was around 4:15 p.m., and nothing about Simpson hinted at the horror that was about to unfold. Within moments, Simpson, who had left the company nine months earlier, brandished a gun and fatally shot Gilmore, setting off a rampage through the office.
Rossler recounted the chilling events to local media, explaining how Simpson methodically moved from one victim to another. “It was terrifying,” Rossler said. “One moment everything was normal, and the next, we were in a nightmare.” She described how the gunman found employees hiding under desks and shot them, including her own parents.
Miraculously, when Simpson entered Rossler’s office, where she held her infant son at the time, a moment of humanity seemed to pause his actions. Rossler screamed for him not to shoot, and his demeanor momentarily changed, but the respite was brief. Simpson continued his spree, shooting others before ultimately taking his own life as he approached a rear exit of the building.
Lisa remembers the victims were shot multiple times, often fatally headshot. The immediate aftermath left the community and the remaining employees in shock, struggling to comprehend the reasons behind Simpson’s actions. To this day, the motive remains a mystery. Rossler, among others, struggled to piece together any reason why Simpson would commit such atrocities, particularly against colleagues who had once tried to persuade him to return to the company.
In the aftermath, Rossler like many survivors of trauma, adopted new routines to feel safer, such as choosing seats in restaurants that face the entrance. The incident forever changed how she and other survivors approach everyday scenarios.
Thirty years on, the event remains one of the darkest days in Corpus Christi’s history, a poignant reminder of the impacts of workplace violence and the scars it leaves on a community. Local leaders, safety advocates, and survivors continue to advocate for stricter security measures and support systems for trauma victims in hopes of preventing similar tragedies. As the community reflects on the past, they also look to the future, determined to find meaning and healing from the chaos and loss suffered on that devastating day.