Paul Michael Merhige Had a History of Mental Illness Palm Beach Post Reports

Paul Michael Merhige, the man who shot members of his family on Thanksgiving Day as they were gathered for the holiday, had a history of mental illness and suicide attempts, the Palm Beach Post reports.

A neighbor, Luis Sanchez, 56, who does handy man work for many of the families in the neighborhood, said he knew the Merhiges family well. He had done work at their home over the past six years. He reported that Merhige had a history of mental illness and suicide attempts.

The house is owned and lived in by Merhige's parents, Michael and Carole, their three children, Paul Merhige and their twins, Carla and Lisa, would visit often. The twin women were killed in the shooting by their brother, Paul Merhige. Merhige also shot and killed a six year old girl, a cousin, as she was sleeping at the house. Another relative, an aunt, was also killed.

Paul Michael Merhige Thanksgiving massacre killed four people and injured two others, one critically. All six people were relatives.

Luis Sanchez said, "They are wonderful people," when speaking about Merhige's parents. He goes on to say, "The fact is with this they have lost all three of their children all at the same time and I can't imagine how painful that must be for them. The fact that the twin sisters came into life together and then died on the same day too; my God!"

Paul Michael Merhige was an honors student when he attended the University of Miami in the early 1990's. According to the Miami Herald archives, he was a top scholar on the National Advanced Placement (AP) test. He also earned scholarships playing football in high school.

His educational achievements bear an eerie similarity to what was known about the Fort Hoot Shooter. They are both very bright and highly intelligent men, who did unspeakable acts to the people close to them.

Sanchez referred to Paul Merhige as "a conflictive person." The newspaper did not elaborate on this comment. A search by the newspaper had produced no findings that Paul Merhige had ever been treated for mental illness. There was nothing in the story to substantiate the claim. The only reference to Merhige is that he "was a very conflicted person.