The random, stunning violence Tuesday evening in Collier was incomprehensible to everyone -- but one.

Over in seconds, the terror had been contemplated by the perpetrator for at least nine months.

In the end, police said, George Sodini fulfilled his self-described "exit plan" of carnage and suicide in the LA Fitness center, firing at least 36 rounds from two handguns to kill three women and wound nine others, strangers all. He then used a third gun to fire a bullet into his head, killing himself. A fourth handgun was found in his pocket.

George Sodini

Day's light yesterday found survivors mourning loved ones lost, the wounded improving or clinging to life, detectives piecing together the tragedy and a stunned community struggling with sadness and shock only months removed from the killing of three Pittsburgh police officers.

Among the most chilling developments yesterday was the discovery of Mr. Sodini's Web site, which included a diary that obliquely referred to his plan to randomly kill women and himself.

The often rambling entries, beginning Nov. 5 and ending the night before the shootings, show a man full of hopelessness, one who loathed women, religion, his family, blacks, co-workers, life itself and, ultimately, himself.

Mr. Sodini, 48, of Scott was a systems analyst in the finance department of the law firm K&L Gates, Downtown, since 1999 and for four years before that an Internet technology contractor for Development Dimensions International. On his diary, he lists both his date of birth and date of death -- 8-4-2009. It is unclear how long the blog had been available to the public.

"Why do this?? To young girls? Just read below," he begins. "I kept a running log that includes my thoughts and actions, after I saw this project was going to drag on."

The "project," at times called the "exit plan," is discussed throughout the entries but is never explained, although it seems clear suicide is part of it. His last entry, dated Monday, notes that he took the day off from work to practice that day and the next "my routine and make sure it is well polished. I need to work out every detail, there is only one shot.

"Maybe soon, I will see God and Jesus. ... Also, any of the 'Practice Papers' left on my coffee table I used or the notes in my gym bag can be published freely. I will not be embarrassed because, well, I will be dead." Police said they found those documents containing rants similar to those in the blog.

Most of his writing bemoans his lack of luck with women: "I actually look good. I dress good, am clean-shaven, bathe, touch of cologne yet 30 million women rejected me over an 18 or 25-year period. That is how I see it.

"A man needs a woman for confidence. He gets a boost on the job, career, with other men, and everywhere else when he knows inside he has someone to spend the night with and who is also a friend. This type of life I see is a closed world with me specifically and totally excluded."

Police said Mr. Sodini had once belonged to a non-denominational church but no longer attended after an incident in 2006. The pastor told authorities that he had "over-reached" with a woman at the church in trying to gain her affections, but that she had rejected him.

An undated note on his blog says he had spoken to a woman from the gym whom he liked, adding, "To get a friend like her (and for night time action) I would cancel this plan, or put on hold, at least for a while."

He claimed he had not had sex since July 1990; elsewhere he claimed he fathered a child born in early 1991 to a woman he hadn't seen since she was pregnant. The woman died five years ago and her family said they knew nothing of Mr. Sodini's claim.

He writes of being "isolated." An April 24 entry notes, "I guess this is when I take care of things. I don't have kids, close friends or anything. Just me here. If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose."

Bob J. Fox, 45, who lives across Orchard Spring Road from Mr. Sodini's house, was surprised to be mentioned on the shooter's Web postings. Mr. Sodini, with a hint of jealousy, claimed he saw an attractive woman leaving Mr. Fox's home in late July.

Mr. Fox said he had a cordial, neighborly relationship with Mr. Sodini. He said they had little interaction beyond discussing mundane things such as yard work since Mr. Sodini bought his house in 1996. Mr. Fox said there was no hint of anger or violence visible in Mr. Sodini and did not realize his neighbor had guns.

"There was nothing special about him," Mr. Fox said yesterday. "I can't believe that he did that. Whenever I talked to him, he was the nicest guy in the world. And I can't believe he planned this."

Candace Gettys, 58, had been Mr. Sodini's neighbor for 11 years. For the first several years, they would "chitchat" about "very superficial types of things." Then, after they both began working Downtown, she would ride the same bus with him most days, and she got to know him a little better.

"We both worked at law firms, so we talked about work things," she said.

But about two years ago, Mr. Sodini seemed to withdraw.

"He became more reclusive. I didn't see him much," Ms. Gettys said. "He came and went, but never made eye contact. I never saw him talking to anyone, except his immediate next-door neighbors."

She said that a couple of days ago, she noticed that Mr. Sodini's yard and house were "unruly and messy looking. He usually kept it neat and mowed and kept up with things."

But he did take pride in his appearance. On Saturday, Mr. Sodini went tanning and then purchased a $57 package for 10 more tanning sessions at Salon IAOMO, the Scott Towne Center full-service salon he has frequented three or four times a week since September.

"We all thought he was a little square, kind of the class nerd," Roberta Kozel, the salon's co-owner, said. "He would joke, but he would never be mean or upset. I never saw any streak of madness."

Pamela Schutz, a part-time employee, said Mr. Sodini was pleasant, but a little nervous and withdrawn around people, especially women. He asked her out for coffee, but they never got around to it. On Saturday, he suggested they get whiskey sours but she kindly told him she was too busy that day.

In his diary, Mr. Sodini writes about carrying out his "plan" at the "gym" but never identifies it as LA Fitness, where he was a member. Even though he is critical of layoffs and of a co-worker at K&L, he notes, "Most people there are OK and I would never have a shoot 'em up there. They paid me for 10 years so far!"

Tuesday's attack had initially been planned for early January, he wrote on his blog. On Jan. 5, he noted that the gym was very crowded that day and "[t]omorrow should be good" for the "plan."

The next day: "It is 6:40 p.m., about hour and a half to go. God have mercy. I wish life could be better for all and the crazy world can somehow run smoother. I wish I had answers. Bye."

But then, he writes, "It is 8:45 p.m. I chickened out! [Expletive]! I brought the loaded guns, everything. Hell!"

In a miscellaneous section at the end of the diary, he writes that "probably 99 percent of the people who know me well don't even think I was this crazy."

The diary ends bluntly: "Death Lives!"