Security Guards Shoot, Kill Each Other

LANSING, Mich. - Something snapped between two state Capitol security guards early yesterday - no one knows what - and they killed each other in a bloody, point-blank shootout across the hood of their cruiser.

About 3:50 a.m. yesterday, Virginia Rich and Canute Findsen got angry enough to draw their 9-mm automatics and open fire at each other inside the gated grounds of a state police administrative complex, state police said.

Rich, 51, of Mason, known as "Ginger," a well-liked Capitol guard for 20 years, and Findsen, 43, shot each other to death, investigators said.

There was "absolutely, definitely not" any indication of a romantic connection between them, Col. Michael Robinson said.

Findsen had worked with Rich for 14 years. He and his wife, who is pregnant, have one young child and would have celebrated their 11th anniversary today. Rich was single.

They were part of the state police's Capitol post, providing security for government buildings. Assigned to the midnight shift, they often patrolled together. Both were good employees, and there was no record of conflict between them, said state police Lt. Daniel Payne, their commander.

Police were alerted to the incident when a state police employee at the complex's gate saw the two squared off with pistols drawn, went to a phone and called 911. When police arrived minutes later, the officers were dead.

Each 9-mm pistol held 15 rounds and was capable of firing as fast as the shooter could squeeze the trigger. Although neither pistol was emptied, there were many spent shells, Robinson said.