001 BAY AREA NEWS GROUP A5
MASS SHOOTING
Gunman kills 5 people, wounds 5 police officers
Officials believe the shooter was
an employee at Illinois warehouse
By Michael Brice-
Saddler, Emily Wax-
Thibodeaux and Reis
Thebault
The Washington Post
A gunman killed five peo-
ple and wounded five police
officers Friday afternoon af-
ter opening fire inside of a
warehouse in the Chicago
suburb of Aurora, Ill., po-
lice say.
Aurora Police Chief Kris-
tin Zimen confirmed the
suspect, 45-year-old Gary
Martin, was killed in an
exchange of gunfire with
police after shooting sev-
eral employees as well as
officers who rushed to the
Henry Pratt Co. warehouse
after reports of gunfire. Po-
lice said the shooting oc-
curred for about an hour.
Zimen said during a brief
news conference that offi-
cers were “fired upon im-
mediately” upon respond-
ing to the 29,000-square-
foot warehouse at about
1:30 p.m. Central time.
Police believe Martin was
an employee at the ware-
house.
The company had fired
Martin on Friday before the
shooting, police said.
Police said the five
wounded officers were
taken to local hospitals, two
of whom were transferred
to trauma centers. Police
did not specify if any others
were injured or how many.
Some of the victims had
been identified as of Friday
night, but police had not re-
leased the names out of re-
spect for the families.
Police said King County
opened an investigation
into the shooting with sup-
port from the Bureau of Al-
cohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives, FBI and the
state’s attorney’s office.
Zimen said the gunman
used a Smith and Wesson
handgun, though it was not
clear if the gun was regis-
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Gabriel Gonzales, an Iraq
War Marine veteran who
can see the Henry Pratt
warehouse from his front
yard, said the number of po-
lice vehicles, flashing lights
and armored cars Friday af-
ternoon were giving him
flashbacks.
“When you are a combat
zone you expect it,” said
Gonzales. “I’ve never seen
this many police officers
anywhere.”
He was watching his
grandchildren, who were
mesmerized by the activity
unfolding through the win-
dow, and worrying about
their brother Anthony,
whose school was put un-
der lockdown.
“My grandson had a
school lockdown at 8 years
old. I mean, can you believe
that?” Gonzalez said. “Back
when I was a kid, it was just PHOTOS BY SCOTT OLSON — GETTY IMAGES
tornadoes.” Workers look out an office window following a shooting at the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora, Illinois, on Friday.
Tiffany Probst, 38, a le-
gal assistant, said her best with my staff. Thank you to
friend saw a post on Face- the members of law enforce-
book about the shooting ment who are responding to
and she started texting that the emergency.”
“your dad might be inside!” Nancy Caal, who works
Her father, John, has at Erwin’s Truck Repair
worked as a machinist in near the scene of the shoot-
the building for over 40 ing, told The Washington
years. He has three grown Post that she heard the din
children and has five grand- of sirens as police cars and
children. Probst raced down ambulances rushed to the
to the factory but it was all building behind hers.
blocked by police. She and two others put
“I knew there was no way the shop on lockdown when
to call him because he’s old they saw heavily armed of-
school and never has a cell- ficers heading toward the
phone,” then she heard adjacent Henry Pratt ware-
from friends father was giv- house.
ing TV interviews and talk- “Nobody told us noth-
ing with the police. ing,” she said. “But we
“He’s safe and talking to closed the gates and locked
the news,” she said. “He’s down the shop.”
not much of a talker, but News reports of an ac-
when it comes to this, I can tive shooter there con-
tell by his voice he’s real Police secure the area following a shooting Friday at the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora, Illinois, firmed their fears shortly
shaken up. We are look- where five people were reported dead and five police officers wounded. after.
ing forward to giving him
a hug.” ation. “This is a scary, sad brave first responders who “My heart breaks for Au- The Washington Post’s
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, day for all Illinoisans and risked their lives this after- rora,” Sen. Richard Durbin, Mark Berman and Julie
D-Ill., tweeted Friday that Americans,” Duckworth noon and apprehended the D-Ill., tweeted. “I’m track- Tate contributed to this
she was following the situ- wrote. “Thank you to the shooter.” ing updates on the situation report.
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