"Something just snapped" - and three people died

The shooter in a double homicide-suicide in Aitkin County was despondent over his alleged relationship with the female victim, according to a bartender who spoke with him.

By CHAO XIONG and LORA PABST, Star Tribune

Last update: September 16, 2008 - 4:23 PM

Sick with a cold, John Brightman walked into the Whispering Pines bar in McGregor, Minn., on Friday afternoon, plunked himself down to drink a Dr. Pepper and unleashed the news that had him rattled: The off-again, on-again relationship he claimed to be having with Jaime Gage was souring; she wanted to move in with another man.

"He was confused," said bar owner Jacque Saari.

Early the next day, Brightman, 55, Gage, 32, and the other man -- Mark Root, 51 -- lay shot to death around a campfire behind Root's Shamrock Township house, apparently by Brightman's hands, police said.

Gage's family members denied that Brightman was romantically involved with Gage, saying his obsession with her had been a longstanding problem.

Brightman had moved to McGregor, a small Aitkin County community between Brainerd and Duluth, about 1 1/2 years ago after he was injured while working as a machinist in the Twin Cities, Saari said.

Saari said that her understanding of the relationship from talking to Brightman was that Gage, from Minneapolis, would visit Brightman, staying for up to three weeks at the cabin he rented from Root.

"John said that she wanted to move back in with him," Saari said. "And then he said, 'No.' She wanted to move into Mark's guest cabin, and [John] didn't like that idea. All I said to him was, ' ... I would just leave it alone.'"

Aitkin County Sheriff Scott Turner was more reticent in talking about the relationships involved. He said Brightman and Root had quarreled over Gage on Friday evening at a local establishment.

Authorities believe Brightman later returned with a .357 revolver and shot Gage twice in the back and Root three times, twice in the back and once in the chest. Brightman then shot himself in the head, Turner said.

A friend of all three witnessed at least the first two shootings and told someone in a nearby house to call 911, Turner said.

When authorities arrived about 1:40 a.m., several people from the neighborhood had gathered at the scene.

"Within the community, among acquaintances and friends, there is certainly a sense of sadness and almost disbelief that something so tragic could have happened in an otherwise quiet and fairly close community," Turner said.

A gun was found at the scene.

"Oh, I was shocked," Saari said of the shooting. "I thought a lot about John. He was always so pleasant. It's still unbelievable."

Brightman lived next door to Root, whose two teenage children lived with him.

Brightman's mother, who lives down the street, declined to comment Monday.

The Sunday before Labor Day, Brightman had taken Gage to the Whispering Pines and introduced her as his girlfriend, Saari said. That was the only time Saari met Gage.

Gage apparently had left the Twin Cities because she was fleeing an abusive boyfriend, Saari said.

Brightman hadn't seemed to be behaving strangely until Friday, Saari said. He lived off of his disability payments and enjoyed fishing, riding his Harley and making friends at the Whispering Pines, she said.

He had at least two grown children. A son had called him last Wednesday on his 55th birthday, she said; he also had a grown daughter whose whereabouts Saari does not know.

"Something just snapped," Saari said.

Staff writer Tim Harlow contributed to this report.

cxiong@startribune.com • 612-673-4391

lpabst@startribune.com • 612-673-4628

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