Edmond Remembers 

The headline “15 Die in Massacre” shocked America. 

The unexpected event shook Edmond to its core. Post office employees in downtown went to work as usual, unaware that one of their co-workers had been reprimanded the previous day. On August 20, 1986, that employee burst into the office, shot 20 people, and then killed himself. Fourteen of them died. 

In 1986, only two other mass shootings had occurred in America. How could this have happened in Edmond? 

“I took hundreds of media calls from around the world–and they all had that same question,” said former mayor Randel Shadid. “There’s no answer. Edmond is one of the safer places you can live, but it happened. Unfortunately, mass shootings have happened a whole lot more since then. It’s very hurtful for people to go through, and it’s hard for me to talk about it.” 

Shadid, who was mayor pro-tem that day, describes it as the worst day of his life. The memory of what he saw in the post office still haunts him. Even worse was watching as people learned that their family members had not survived. 

“Telling people that their loved ones were not coming home because they were murdered was horrible,” Shadid said. “They broke down, inconsolable. That was the most horrific part of the day for me. Doing that 14 times.” 

Ceremony of Remembrance 

Forty years have passed, and to those uninvolved or unborn, the event might simply represent a sad moment in Edmond’s history. Those who lived through it, however, still remember the feelings of shock, grief, and anger. 

To acknowledge the community’s pain and resilience, a 40th Anniversary ceremony is being planned. 

“I remember that day, and I remember being proud of how the City handled it,” said former mayor Dan O’Neil, who is organizing the ceremony on behalf of the National Association for Retired Federal Employees. “Even though the employees who worked at the post office back in 1986 are retired or changed jobs, many Oklahomans are still bearing the loss of that day.” 

Yellow Ribbon 

During the aftermath of the massacre, dozens of memorial wreaths arrived, placed around the post office flagpole. Nationally, flags were flown at half-mast, and post offices held a moment of silence. Edmond citizens tied hundreds of yellow ribbons to trees, mailboxes, and lampposts across town. 

A committee was formed to commission a large bronze marker. Citizens and various postal organizations donated $93,000 toward a statue, which was created by local sculptor Richard Muno. Yellow Ribbon depicts a couple holding a long yellow ribbon in the center of a concrete fountain, with fourteen waterspouts to represent each of the victims. 

Over time, however, the fountain stopped working and the fragile yellow ribbon sustained damage. When Cinda Covel, director of public art, tried to repair the memorial, she uncovered a confusing trail of ownership. 

“It was unclear who owned and cared for Yellow Ribbon: the federal government or Edmond?” said Covel. “I found records proving that citizens paid for the sculpture, but the fountain is on federal property, so we couldn’t make changes without permission.” 

City staff is currently working with the U.S. Postal Service to request an easement that will allow Edmond to manage future landscaping and revitalizations. Meanwhile, the fountain is running again—in time for the 40th Anniversary. 

“Yellow Ribbon is important to Edmond. Positive effort has been made to refurbish the sculpture and honor those who died,” Covel said. 

“Memorials are sad, but they add a level of civility to a community,” Shadid said. “Yellow Ribbon was a nice thing to do, because you don’t ever want people to forget what happened here. I certainly can’t.”