A solo bagpipe player played as hundreds of family members, friends and co-workers paid their last respects to Ileto
VIDEO CNN's Greg LaMotte provides a police eye view of the shooting scene Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Greg LaMotte reports on the latest developments in the case Windows Media 28K 80K MESSAGE BOARDS: Mass shootings INTERACTIVE: The hunt for the community center gunman Gunfire shatters another U.S. community

August 14, 1999
Web posted at: 8:57 p.m. EDT (0057 GMT)

WHITTIER, California -- The founder of the Aryan Nations characterized the white supremacist accused of gunning down a mail carrier and wounding five people at a Jewish community center as a "good soldier." At the same time, there were loving tributes as family, friends and co-workers said farewell to one of his victims.

Hundreds of uniformed postal workers carrying flowers and wearing baby-blue ribbons paid their last respects to Joseph Ileto, the 39-year-old Filipino-American postal worker allegedly shot nine times by white supremacist Buford O. Furrow.

"We all pictured ourselves in Joe's spot and for us to be here is like an eye-opening situation that any one of us could have been out there that day," postal worker Alfonzo Anteveras said.

Music from a solo bagpipe player floated into the entryway of a chapel in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier. Mourners filed past poster boards with photos of Ileto from throughout his life.

"We lost a friend, a good worker. We miss him so much," Minh Ky, 47, a fellow postal worker, said.

Relatives recalled stories and remembered Ileto's love of baseball and chess.

Ileto's younger brother, Ismael, a United Parcel Service worker, said the most frightening thing that he and others in similar lines of work traditionally faced was being chased by a dog.

"Now that we have a son, I'm kind of looking behind my back," he said. "It could happen to you, too."

He said he feared that speaking out might spark threats from other members of hate groups.

"Los Angeles is the most diverse city in the most diverse country in the history of the world, " said U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district includes the post office Ileto was working from when he was killed. "A criminal came to Los Angeles with hate in his heart, enough hate for all of us."

President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer offered condolences to the family in statements read by Sherman.

Postal workers arrived at the funeral fully uniformed and wearing baby-blue ribbons

Furrow allegedly told investigators that the postal worker was a good "target of opportunity" to kill because he was non-white and worked for the federal government.

Five injured in attack

Just prior to Ileto's death, Furrow allegedly opened fire at the North Valley Jewish Community Center, injuring five people, including three children.

Furrow, 37, remained in jail Saturday.

Tuesday's bloody rampage through the San Fernando Valley was commended in a newspaper report Saturday by Richard Butler, leader of the Idaho-based Aryan Nations.

"He was a good soldier," Butler was quoted as saying of Furrow in Saturday's New York Post.

"He was very respected among us," Butler, 81, said. "I don't know why he did what he did, but I cannot condemn what he did -- nor do I condone it."

Furrow reportedly chose the Jewish community center at random after coming across it during a stop for gas off the freeway. He is suspected of considering other more prominent Jewish facilities, but was deterred by heavy security.

Months before Furrow's alleged attack on the community center, he was ordered by a judge in Washington state to surrender his guns.

According to a report in Saturday's Los Angeles Times, Furrow's probation officer never checked to see if he complied with the judge's order and did not make recommended visits to Furrow's home.

Only one shooting victim, 5-year-old Benjamin Kadish, remained hospitalized Saturday, improved from critical to serious condition at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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