In the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day 2017, 18-year-old Marist High School senior William Han Manstrom-Greening committed suicide by using his father’s unsecured service weapon. William’s father Glenn Greening, along with Greening’s employer Lane County, have both been named as defendants by William’s estate in a wrongful death lawsuit filed just last week. According to the lawsuit. “On February 13, 2017, Lane County Parole and Probation Officer Glenn Greening left his Glock 19 duty weapon and ammunition readily accessible, loaded and unattended inside his home, and went to bed. His son, William Han Manstrom-Greening,” having gained easy access to the unsecured weapon then used the gun to kill himself.
The suit goes on to say that Lane County Parole and Probation, together with William’s father Glenn Greening, not only enhanced the dangerous circumstances surrounding the young man’s passing but in the end were the cause of William Han Manstrom-Greening’s wrongful death. “Lane County failed to ensure that Glenn Greening, an armed Lane County parole officer, properly stored his handgun.” Finally, the suit uncovers the previous history that Greening was suspended from carrying a gun in 2004 for threatening and harassing William’s mother. Despite this incident, the county re-authorized Greening to once again carry a gun in 2012.”
David Park, the attorney representing William’s estate says “law enforcement officers should be held to the highest standards of firearms safety. Doing so requires careful selection of the persons authorized to carry firearms as well as careful supervision of those persons, once selected.” Without access to his father’s gun, the wrongful death suit alleges that William would still be alive today.
Adopted at the age of just eleven months, William grew up In Eugene, Oregon as a well-liked scholar-athlete who ran cross country, played soccer, flag football, basketball, and baseball all while maintaining a 3.6-grade point average. William has been described an especially kind young man who was known to enjoy volunteering, traveling, playing a variety of board games and spending time with his family and friends. William’s future plans included attending Oregon State University with his fellow Marist High classmates following graduation this past spring.
