“We were all afraid he was going to snap or something.”

a) The neighbor of a veteran New Jersey police officer, after he fatally shot five neighbors before killing himself last week.

b) A conservative activist, describing the mental toll that scandal has taken on initiative guru Tim Eyman.

c) A “senior White House aide,” explaining why it was a good thing that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (later reinstated by huge protests) had been deposed by a military coup.

d) An attendee at the city’s Special Events Committee meeting last week, describing the reaction of Richard Harrington, one of the owners of Sound Mind & Body gym, when the committee approved new plans for the nearby Fremont Sunday Market.

Answer: a