TRUSSVILLE, Alabama -- Those who went to church with him knew Joe Tesney as a mild-mannered, helpful man with a big heart. Many gathered Tuesday evening to pray, shocked at what happened to the man they thought they knew. 
 
 A former employee entered the UPS facility in Birmingham's Inglenook area Tuesday morning and shot two people before turning the gun on himself. Police have not publicly named the shooter, but law enforcement, family and church sources identified him as Tesney, a 45-year-old married father of two who lived in Argo. 
 
 At Tesney's church, Northpark Baptist Church in Trussville, people who knew him came together Tuesday evening to pray. 
 
 "Those who knew him are just as shocked as anybody else," Executive Pastor John Herring said. 
 
 Herring said Tesney was a family man who was active in the church. He had been going to Northpark for about 10 years, he said. 
 
 "We really struggle with the whole thing," Herring said. "Nobody in a thousand years could have imagined him doing something like this." 
 
 John Gibson said he met Tesney in a Sunday school class in 2001. He said Tesney was always helping out at the church. At one point the church had a ministry program where they would take an ice cream truck around the area and give free ice cream to children in need, and Tesney was very active in that. 
 
 "He loved his family, he loved his girls, he loved his church," Gibson said. "He had a servant heart." 
 
 Herring said he knew Tesney had recently lost his job at UPS, but didn't know of any other troubles he was facing. Tesney was reportedly fired from UPS in the past month and had lost an appeal of the firing. 
 
 The two victims were supervisors at the facility, and police said it appeared at least one was specifically targeted. 
 
 Herring said the church community was also praying for those who knew the two victims and for the UPS employees. 
 
 "How do you know what drives a person to do something like this?" he said. ||||| BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --Three people are dead -- including the gunman -- after a shooting this morning at a UPS facility in Inglenook, according to Birmingham officials. 
 
 The incident happened just before 9:30 a.m. as police received multiple calls of an active shooter at 4601 Inglenook Lane, the customer service center and warehouse. "Patrol units responded quickly; they rallied and made entry,'' said Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper. "They were able to clear the building and, of course, during the shooting, multiple employees exited the facility." 
 
 Once the officers arrived and entered the building, they found three dead people inside the business. "It appears it was the shooter, still wearing his UPS uniform, and two other employees,'' the chief said. 
 
 Police officials have not publicly named the shooter, but law-enforcement sources, family and church members identified him as 45-year-old Joe Tesney. He is married, and the father of two daughters. 
 
 The gun used in the shootings was still underneath his body when police arrived on the scene. 
 
 Police this afternoon confirmed the shooter was fired from his job. "He received his final papers Monday,'' said police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards. "Today he was not expected to return to work because he was no longer employed there." 
 
 Tesney reportedly was fired within the past month and appealed the firing. He lost his appeal in recent days. 
 
 What led to his firing wasn't immediately available. Court records show an auto repair, design and testing shop, filed a lawsuit in November 2012 against Tesney and UPS in Jefferson County District Civil Court. 
 
 The lawsuit claims that on Nov. 5, 2010, Tesney came to the business to pick up packages. Along with the marked packages for shipment Tesney negligently, recklessly or intentionally took an unboxed custom one-of-a-kind radiator for a race truck that TSA Motorsports had shipped to HESCO for testing. The radiator was not marked or otherwise designated for shipment, the lawsuit claims. The radiator was valued at approximately $4,000. 
 
 The radiator was never returned or replaced by UPS or Tesney, the lawsuit states. Jefferson County District Judge Jack Lowther found in favor of Tesney and UPS after a bench trial on Sept. 10, 2013. 
 
 Tesney's mother-in-law, Wanda Binney, told AL.com today the family is shocked. "He was one of the best men I have ever known,'' she said. "He was a kind husband and a wonderful father." 
 
 Asked if anyone would predict this from Tesney, Binney said, "Anybody but Joe. He's never hurt anyone in his life." 
 
 "He was just a wonderful person and we're shocked,'' she said. She said the children have not been notified of their father's death. 
 
 Tesney was a member of Northpark Baptist Church in Trussville. The church released the following statement today to AL.com: "We are praying for the employees of UPS and the families of the victims of today's tragedy. Our hearts are grieved. We pray that the peace of our Lord would be near to those who have been devastated." 
 
 All three deceased were adult white males, and their names have not been publicly released. The two victims were supervisors at UPS, and police said they believe at least one was specifically targeted in the shooting. The other, sources tell AL.com, was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. 
 
 UPS shooting sceñe pic.twitter.com/bzgzGVLhZ5 — carol robinson (@RobinsonCarol) September 23, 2014 
 
 It is believed the gunman shot himself. 
 
 Roper said no one else was injured. Police did not fire any shots, Roper said, nor did they hear any shots. "When the officers arrived in the parking lot and made entry, the incident in all respect was already over,'' he said. 
 
 Hundreds of police officers from Birmingham and Tarrant flocked to this morning's scene. Residents of nearby office buildings, and some family members of UPS workers, somberly gathered outside watching the incident unfold. 
 
 Roper said no one else inside was injured other than those who died. "We do have people who are extremely upset about what they saw today and what they witnessed,'' Roper said. "We want to make sure we support them." 
 
 They were taken by bus to Boutwell Auditorium, where police have blocked off the streets around there as counselors meet with employees. 
 
 Roper said the investigation will be methodical. "We'll be digging into the work history, into the background, also talking to family members and these other employees who may be able to shed some information on what happened today,'' he said. "We have a pretty good idea about what transpired inside the business. 
 
 "We want to make sure we get a good picture of what led up to today and what we can do in the future to prevent it,'' Roper said. 
 
 "It is extremely troubling for the city, for the families involved. When they came to work today, they had no idea it would be their last day alive on earth," he said. "They were just people working at their jobs." 
 
 As a precautionary measure, the campus of Springville elementary and middle schools were briefly placed on lock down because there is a connection between a person involved in the shooting and a child at the school, St. Clair County officials said. Authorities later confirmed there were family members at the schools when the shooting happened. 
 
 "It was just a precaution in case he was still at large," said Phillip Johnson, facilities manager for the county school system. 
 
 The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also on the scene at UPS. ATF officials said they are providing technical support, and any guns used in the shooting will be traced as well as submitted through NIBIN to determine if they had been used in any other shooting. 
 
 Birmingham police, ATF and St. Clair sheriff's deputies are on a secondary scene in an Argo-area subdivision where the alleged shooter lives. Lawmen have roped off the neighborhood and blocked entrance to the street. 
 
 Friends and family members of the alleged shooter gathered outside his home. Several people were taken from the scene by police, presumably for questioning. 
 
 "We are deeply saddened by today's events and offer our condolences to the families and employees impacted by today's tragedy. Chief Roper and the BPD have our full support as we investigate and get answers for all involved," said Mayor William Bell. 
 
 Gov. Robert Bentley also issued the following statement: "Dianne and I are saddened to learn about the deadly shooting at the UPS Center in Birmingham. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and co-workers of those who died this morning. 
 
 "I was briefed on the active shooter situation by the Alabama Secretary of Law Enforcement just moments after it occurred. I commend the quick and efficient response of Birmingham Chief A.C. Roper and his staff at the Birmingham Police Department. Today's incident is a reminder of the importance of law enforcement training to respond to active shooters. 
 
 "State law enforcement resources are available and ready to assist if needed as investigators work to determine a cause in this deadly shooting." 
 
 AL.com staffers Joe Songer, Bill Thornton, Kent Faulk and Mike Smith contributed to this report. 
 
 Updated at 12 p.m. to include additional information from Police Chief A.C. Roper and about the alleged shooter. 
 
 Updated at 3:08 p.m. to include the name of the shooter and statements from family and his church. 
 
 View Slayings in the Birmingham area, 2014 in a larger map ||||| ORANGE PARK, Fla. - A man opened fire inside his workplace on Monday, wounding one co-worker, before he shot and killed himself, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. 
 
 The shooting was reported at Jacksonville Granite on Industrial Loop West in Clay County. 
 
 Dean Hagins Jr., 26, the co-worker who was shot, ran from the business, jumped a 6-foot fence into an adjacent neighborhood and was helped by a homeowner on Balsa Court, who called 911. Hagins was taken to Orange Park Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. 
 
 The shooter, James Cameau, 34, locked himself in a room at the business and killed himself, deputies said. He had been working at Jacksonville Granite for only about a month and was apparently living in the nearby Astoria Hotel, deputies said. 
 
 Deputies said it appears to have been a random shooting, because several employees were targeted. There were 11 employees in the building at the time, deputies said. 
 
 Clay County Undersheriff Craig Aldrich said Cameau left abruptly around 10 a.m. for what co-workers thought was his lunch break and returned about noon with a semi-automatic weapon. 
 
 Aldrich said Cameau pointed the gun at several co-workers working outside the building, told them to run and then pulled the trigger. The gun jammed twice, Aldrich said. 
 
 The third time, Cameau was able to fire off several rounds, hitting Hagins as he was running away. He also fired at the business owner's truck, as the owner, Mike Rich, arrived at the scene, Aldrich said. 
 
 “At least two people that he was at point-blank range with could have lost their life," Aldrich said. "The good Lord was looking down on them. They're very fortunate.” 
 
 Rich told News4Jax that the shooting was unexpected, scary and could have been a lot worse. He said he was headed home to hug his children. 
 
 Witness saw workers running for their lives 
 
 One witness who called 911 to report the shooting described the incident as pure chaos. 
 
 Frank Owens said he saw workers running for their lives. 
 
 “They came out of the granite shop, out this way, and then two of them went that way and ran across the field into the back of the shop back there,” Owens said. 
 
 Owens described hearing two loud shots and what sounded like granite falling. 
 
 "Then the next thing you know, there was a guy running toward the fence," Owens said. 
 
 That man was Hagins, who jumped the fence and ran to safety. 
 
 Gunman aimed 'right at his face' 
 
 Hagins' sister said he had only recently started working at Jacksonville Granite. 
 
 “My brother called me on the phone, and he said that he had been shot and that I needed to call my dad and that he couldn’t get hold of him, and he was freaking out and really upset,” Taylor Hagins said. 
 
 She said her brother told their father at the hospital that the shooter had threatened to shoot him in the stomach, so he ran away and the bullet caught him in his rear end. 
 
 Dean Hagins ran to a nearby home, and the homeowner, Ruben Guengue, helped Hagins run as far as he could, because he was afraid that Hagins was being chased by a gunman. When they reached the other side of Guengue's property, Hagins collapsed, and Guengue called 911. 
 
 "In today’s world, anything can happen. It’s a crazy world," Guengue said. "I’m 76 years old. Nothing scares me." 
 
 Hagins' father, Dean Hagins Sr., told News4Jax on Monday night that his son was doing well and sitting up in bed. The elder Hagins said his sister, nephew and brother were also at the business when Cameau started shooting. 
 
 "My son faced him first and he shot right at his face, and the gun misfired," Hagins said. "My son thought it was a fake gun, and he went back to work, and the guy walked off. " 
 
 'He didn't seem like that type of person' 
 
 Hagins' nephew, Chandler Garza, said he was working on a piece of granite and heard a pop and what he thought was a piece of granite falling over. 
 
 “I was standing right next to him. He was pointing right at me telling me to run. I wasn't taking him too seriously at first. I thought it was a toy gun or something," Chandler said. "I didn't think he would do something like that. He didn't seem like that type of person.” 
 
 Garza said Cameau started firing shots inside the shop and was pointing the gun at his co-workers, telling them all to run, so everyone took off. 
 
 "Once I realized, I saw the look on his face, I saw how serious he was, I turned around and hauled butt," Garza said. "He was kind of a quiet guy. He lived here for a couple of months. I had taken lunch with him a few times, but I didn't know him too well." 
 
 Cameau went into the building through the back as other employees ran through the front office, deputies said. 
 
 When law enforcement arrived, Cameau locked himself in Rich's office, where the shop's surveillance equipment was kept, and killed himself. 
 
 "You don't expect it to hit your home. You hear it on TV. You hear it through friends, but you never expect it to come to your home," Hagins Sr. said. "The first thing I did is ask God, 'Please don't let my son die. Please let it be a flesh wound or something. But please don't let my son die. Please.' And the next call I got was that he was shot in the rear end, and that brought me a little bit of ease." 
 
 Know your escape route 
 
 News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said it's important to always have a planned escape route in such situations. 
 
 RELATED: Course trains 'good guys' to face active shooter 
 
 “We're seeing this more and more around the country. If you know of an employee who has weapons and is disgruntled with management for whatever reason and leaves or even talks about threats, you really must let someone know, so they can notify law enforcement," Smith said. "You also want to keep all of the entryways and exits clear, even if they're not used. That way in a situation like this, you can utilize them. 
 
 "In a workplace shooting situation or any type of shooting situation, people are going to do one of three things: run, hide or fight, or a combination of those. Naturally, the first instinct is to hide or run, so you need to know where the exits are and where you can get out clearly," Smith said. "Or if you fight, or you're close to the person and you think you have the ability to take the person down, do that, because you may be saving lives.” 
 
 Aldrich said deputies and Orange Park police officers arrived within six minutes of the calls about the shooting and immediately went into active-shooter protocol. 
 
 “That is something that is very real in today's climate,” Aldrich said. “In this particular situation, the suspect ended his own life, but they were ready to stop that threat immediately.” 
 
 Aldrich said co-workers told deputies that Cameau had seemed despondent over the last few days, but no one knew why. 
 
 Cameau had one arrest on his record, a DUI charge in Duval County in 2006. 
 
 Copyright 2016 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
– The man who shot and killed two former colleagues and himself at an Alabama UPS facility had "asked for prayer" amid a "troubled" period in his life, a pastor at his church tells the AP, adding, "He's just a guy who went through his trials at work. Certainly we have prayed for him." Kerry Joe Tesney, 45, of the Birmingham area, had recently been fired from the UPS job and lost an appeal over the matter, AL.com reports. It's not clear why he was fired, but a lawsuit claims that during a pickup at an auto repair shop, he took a radiator that wasn't meant to be shipped and didn't return it. The judge found the case in favor of Tesney in 2013, the site notes. One of the men who was shot appears to have been targeted, while the other may have been a bystander, insiders say; both were supervisors. People who knew Tesney, who was married with two kids, are stunned: "He was one of the best men I have ever known," says his mother-in-law. "Nobody in a thousand years could have imagined him doing something like this," another pastor at the church tells AL.com. Another friend recalled Tesney's involvement in a program providing free ice cream for underprivileged kids: "He had a servant heart."