It was around 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, July 29, 1999, when Mark Barton, a 44-year-old chemist

turned day trader, strolled into momentum securities incorporated in the posh Buckhead

neighborhood of Atlanta.

Mark had a nickname among the other traders.

They called him the rocket.

He was known as being extremely aggressive in his trades, and for his volatile highs and

lows.

On that day, witnesses in the office remembered that their 6'4, 205-pound jovial colleague

wearing a red polo shirt and khaki shorts was smiling.

But Mark had been on a losing street, and no one knew how bad it was.

They projected success.

Mark was in the hole for around half a million dollars, so much money that he had been asked

to stop trading at momentum.

In fact, he had lost $20,000 in a single day two days earlier.

He gave the company a check for $50,000 that he would need to continue trading, but it

bounced.

Some Mark had an appointment with management to clear everything up.

He chatted with the staff until Brad, the manager, came back from running an errand.

Then, after discussing the Dow's 200-point drop in exchanging some friendly banner, witnesses

say he uttered the fateful line.

I hope I'm not upsetting your trading day.

Then he pulled out two handguns, a 45 caliber and a glut 9mm, an open fire.

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