I knew Mr. Carnaby personally. He was a regular visitor to the local indoor range not far from where he was killed.
I never took much stock in what he said about his time in the CIA. It was known around the range that he did work for the Agency, but he never bragged or tried to pass himself off as some 'super-secret-squirrel' responsible for the Bay of Pigs invasion or the guy who knows the guy who knows the guy that knows the guys on the grassy knoll. I always thought that maybe he was some analyst responsible for researching data on troop movements or some such. Maybe he was trying to prop himself up as a CIA operative because his true job was mundane.
I think we've all had run-ins with those type of people. Some are more blatant than others a'la "Gecko45" imagined greatness, and the macho bragging of some 11Bravo trying to score with the ladies by saying he was thrown out of the SEALS because his ninja skills weren't quite what they were looking for. Then there are the true operators who are quiet and reserved when asked about their service, but may allude to some tidbit here or there, or have a funny anecdote about their service. Carnaby fell between those types. He was very charismatic and friendly. Remembered my name, always had a smile and a joke, and even asked about my wife after she quit working at that range. I liked him regardless if his background was true or not.
I can attest that he did carry multiple weapons in his vehicle. That part was true in the news. The reason why he ran, or what made him act the way he did to get shot...i don't know. For all we know, the aliens from Area 51 planted a chip in his head and it fried his brain. He could have been drunk or on drugs. Or, he could have been having a really bad day. The Dale Gribbles of the world will have fun trying to figure out his motives while the rest of us will quietly mourn the passing of a nice guy.
