John D. Corcoran

How they died

Deadly force

Corcoran was a U.S. Marine who served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was suffering from PTSD and had threatened suicide in the past. Police were called for an armed suicidal subject and when they arrived at 8:30pm at the Holiday Inn, he was aiming what appeared to be a gun with a laser sighting system at a male hostage lying face down on the floor. Police evacuated a female customer and started yelling commands and identifying themselves as police officers. When Corcoran directed the weapon at police, an officer shot him once in the chest. The hostage was unharmed. Corcoran died at the scene. The gun was later discovered to be a replica pellet gun fitted with an authentic laser sighting system.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that John D. Corcoran, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources