School psychologist in York saw ‘his whole entire world shattered.’

(York) — There are two competing ways to see Eric Landis.

There’s the Eric Landis who had more than 175 weapons confiscated from him at one point and who violated a court order protecting his then-wife.

“I am fearful for my life,” Melissa Landis wrote in 2003, later adding, “Mr. Landis is intelligent, articulate, manipulative and cunning. If allowed to test the boundaries it will only be a matter of time before he does something drastic.”

And then there’s the way Joshua Hutchins, a stepson of Eric Landis, saw him: 

Eric Landis wanted nothing more than to help people. He was a dedicated school psychologist who spent long hours helping children and teachers. He was a victim of depression who, like a sponge, would soak up the negative experiences of the people he listened to.

In April 2018, Eric Landis feared that he wouldn’t be able to do that work any more.

“His whole entire world shattered,” Hutchins said.

Indeed it did. On the last Sunday in April, the Northern York County Regional Police Department received a report that he was suicidal.

They arrived at his Dover Township home. They knew he had guns. They called in a tactical squad for assistance. They tried to negotiate with him. They deployed tear gas.  

But after several hours, when police entered, they found 46-year-old Eric Landis dead. He was the only one harmed in the incident.

The cause of death: “Cutting wound of left arm,” the coroner’s office said. He used a kitchen knife, according to his stepson.

His case shows how some red flags can fall through the cracks, the limits of taking guns away from alleged domestic abusers and others considered a risk, and the difficulty of finding a simple solution.