February 16, 2019 – In Breaking News – The Boston Globe – Associated Press
The man who killed five co-workers and wounded another and five police officers at a suburban Chicago manufacturing warehouse brought his gun to a meeting in which he was going to be fired, authorities said Saturday.
Because Gary Martin brought his gun to Friday’s meeting at the sprawling Henry Pratt Co. warehouse in Aurora, he likely knew it was possible he was about to lose the job he had held for 15 years, police Chief Kristen Ziman said at a news conference
Ziman said she didn’t know what had been conveyed to Martin, why he was being fired or whether he had shown up for his regular shift or was there just for the meeting.
But she said as soon as he was fired, he pulled his handgun and began shooting.
(Police chief Kristen Ziman said that at least five victims are deceased after the shooting at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora, Illinois, where four officers and a “number of civilians” were struck. Courtesy of CNN and YouTube. Posted on Feb 15, 2019.)
Three of the five co-workers he killed were in the room with him and the other two were just outside, she said. A sixth employee and five police officers were shot but survived.
Frantic calls to 911 started pouring in from frightened workers at 1:24 p.m. and officers arrived at the scene within four minutes, authorities said.
Martin fired on the officers when they arrived, striking one outside and another near the building’s entrance.
Aurora, Illinois Shooter is Gary Martin, 45 employee at Henry Pratt Co. in the industrial park in the Chicago suburb. He killed 5 people pic.twitter.com/AMaIIt9asp
— Teresa (@teresa19833) February 16, 2019
The other three wounded officers were shot inside the building. None of their wounds are considered life-threatening, Ziman said Saturday.
All of the officers who were wounded were shot within the first five minutes of police arriving at the scene, authorities said.
(Authorities in Aurora, Illinois, say 45-year-old Gary Martin was let go from his job at a manufacturing warehouse on Friday when he opened fire on his co-workers. Five employees at the Henry Pratt Facility were killed. One other was wounded. Martin also wounded five responding officers, according to police. Courtesy of CBS This Morning and YouTube. Posted on Feb 16, 2019.)
Martin then hid inside the 29,000-square-foot building and a search ensued.
He fired on an officer about an hour later and police fired back, killing him, authorities said.
Continue reading… Aurora, Ill., gunman had at least 6 prior arrests
Editor’s note: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and those wounded officers who bravely responded to this active shooter situation.
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