Sacked man kills 5 co-workers in Illinois factory

AURORA, Ill, February 15

A gunman opened fire at an Illinois factory just after receiving notice of termination from his job there on Friday, killing five fellow workers and wounding five policemen before he was slain by the police, authorities said.

The assailant, identified as Gary Martin (45), had worked at the Henry Pratt Company for 15 years before Friday’s violence unfolded at the firm’s sprawling facility in Aurora, 65 km west of Chicago, Aurora police chief Kristen Ziman said.

At a late-night news conference, Ziman said it was not yet clear whether the suspect, armed with a Smith & Wesson handgun, was carrying the weapon at the time of his dismissal or whether he “went to retrieve it” before opening fire. An eyewitness and fellow employee said he saw the gunman running through the building carrying a pistol fitted with a laser sight. Also uncertain was the degree to which the shooting was premeditated, Ziman said.“The information that we have indicates he was being terminated,” she said, adding that the reason for his dismissal was not known to the police. — Reuters