Three people were killed and 14 injured when Ford opened fire on employees of Excel Industries, a manufacturer of heavy duty lawn care equipment in Hesston, Kansas Thursday, as well as in two other nearby locations.
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In this photo provided by KWCH-TV, police vehicles line the road after reports of a shooting in Hesston, Kan., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016.
The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office plans to hold a briefing at 6:30 p.m.
Altogether, authorities said four people, including the gunman, were killed and 14 were injured in the attacks in the Hesston, Kansas, area north of Wichita.
The sheriff of Harvey County says the police officer who shot and killed Ford who was attacking the factory where he worked is a “tremendous hero”.
Loved ones rushed to the Excel Industries plant when they heard of the shooting.
“There’s going to be a lot of sad people before this is over”, Walton said.
According to the record and other government records, he was arrested for violating probation stemming from burglary and grand theft charges.
According to the Wichita Eagle, Ford has also had criminal cases in Harvey County, including a misdemeanor conviction in 2008 for fighting or brawling and various traffic violations from 2014 and 2015.
The shooting came less than a week after authorities say a man opened fire at several locations in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area, leaving six people dead and two severely wounded. Authorities haven’t disclosed a possible motive in those attacks.
A half-dozen city, county, state and national agencies responded to the shootings, Walton said, and two helicopters and 15 ambulances were used to evacuate victims, several of whom remain in critical condition. The others were taken to a Newton hospital, and their conditions weren’t immediately available.
“This is just a terrible incident that’s happened here”, he said. Such orders are typically served “because there’s some type of violence in a relationship”, he added. A short time later, he shot someone else in the leg at an intersection.
Marty Pierce, an Excel Industries employee who witnessed the shooting, says he initially thought the commotion was over a fire in the building – not a shooting. Police said he was using a long gun that uses. When break time came, Jarrell said he couldn’t find Ford anywhere, so another co-worker covered his break. According to police, Ford clocked into his shift as normal as a painter in the plant located in Hesston, Kansas.
“I looked right at him and he looked right at me”, Espinoza said.
Jarrell said he sped away when he saw Ford shoot someone and then enter the building.
“I saw the shooter get out of his truck, shoot someone down and go into the building”, Gerald said. But he did say there were “some things that triggered this particular individual”. At that point, the shooter got a different gun and Martin took off running.
Ford was shot and killed by police during a gun battle with officers, officials said.
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“I heard my husband’s voice, but I won’t be happy until I see him in person”.
