



A gunman opened fire inside an Aurora manufacturing plant on Friday, killing five people and wounding six police officers. None of the victims names had been released as of Friday night.

The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Gary Martin, exchanged gunfire with police as soon as officers entered the 29,000 square-foot Henry Pratt building around 1:30 p.m. Feb. 15.

A total of 12 people, including the gunman, were shot. The five wounded police officers, all men, were shot within five minutes of arriving on the scene, according to Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman.

All the victims who died were employees. A sixth person employee was being treated in a hospital for non life-threatening injuries.

Martin lived in Aurora and was employed at the company, a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products, for 15 years. The Atlanta-based company manufactures water measurement products, according to its website.

The motive of the shooting was still unclear, but Ziman said Martin had recently been fired and had returned to his former employer Friday in an attempt to get his job back.

Records show Martin was sentenced in February 1995 in Mississippi on an aggravated assault offense.

In a statement released Friday night, the company said it was left “shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy.”

“Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, the first responders, the Aurora community and the entire Mueller family during this extremely difficult time,” the statement reads. “Our entire focus is on the health and well-being of our colleagues, and we are committed to providing any and all support to them and their families.”

Ziman said police were notified about the shooting at 1:24 p.m. They arrived on the scene at 1:28 p.m. and were immediately fired upon.

Five officers were shot. A sixth suffered a knee injury.

At a press conference, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin said the following:

“I don’t think I can be clearer in saying today is a sad day. We have seen similar situations around our nation. But to experience it first hand is even more painful. A shame these shootings are commonplace, a shame that someone would be so selfish to think he has the right to take an innocent life. We as a society cannot allow the heartless acts to become a spot on the 10 o’clock news.”

Gov. JB Pritzker also attended the press conference.

“There is no way to prepare for the pain of losing innocent people,” Pritzker said. “In the state that you were elected to lead, the state that you were elected to protect, there is no way to prepare. There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their lives.”

CONFIRMED: of 5 officers shot — 3 – shot in the lower body

1 – shot in the neck

1 – shot in eye / shrapnel All were hospitalized. 2 airlifted to trauma centers. #AuroraShooting @cbschicago — Brad Edwards (@tvbrad) February 16, 2019

Two officers were shot in the leg; another in the hip; one in the neck and a fifth officers was hit in the neck. The injuries are all described an non life-threatening.</s>Five people were killed and five officers were wounded when a shooter opened fire at an industrial park in Aurora, Illinois, officials said Friday.

Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman told reporters that the officers were fired upon as soon as they entered the Henry Pratt Co. building in Aurora.

Ziman says the gunman was also killed. The Kane County coroner was at the scene.

A local hospital had tweeted earlier that they were treating two patients with non-life threatening injuries.

Aerial images showed authorities responding to an active shooter incident at an Aurora, Illinois manufacturing business.

For a tense hour, hordes of police and emergency responders reported to the active shooting situation near Highland and Archer in Aurora.

Several local media outlets reported a massive police response at a manufacturing facility. which was identified as Henry Pratt Manufacturing by the local school district.

Aurora Police tweeted at 2:43 p.m. CT there was an active shooter incident at 641 Archer Avenue, but did not comment on any possible injuries or fatalities.

A witness who said he works in the building, John Probst, told ABC7 Chicago that a man who worked there "went ballistic" and was armed with a pistol. He told the television station the suspected shooter was in his 30s-40s and had worked there for about 15 years.

The West Aurora School District 129 nearby reported they are holding students in place for their safety.

The Henry Pratt Company – which makes valves for potable water, wastewater, power generation and industrial markets - has long been based in the Chicago area.

ATF Chicago tweeted they are also responding to a reported active shooter situation in Aurora.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) tweeted his heart "breaks for Aurora." He said he is tracking updates with his staff and thanked law enforcement responding to the emergency.

"This is a scary, sad day for all Illinoisans and Americans," she tweeted. "Thank you to the brave first responders who risked their lives this afternoon and apprehended the shooter."

The White House says President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting in Illinois and is monitoring the situation. The president later tweeted: "Great job by law enforcement in Aurora, Illinois. Heartfelt condolences to all of the victims and their families."

Spokesman Sarah Sanders issued her statement Friday as Trump prepared to depart for a weekend trip to his home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Aurora, Ill. is a far southwest suburb of Chicago, about 40 miles from the downtown area.

This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.</s>Illinois – Police have released the names of the victims in Friday’s mass shooting in Aurora, Illinois.

Five people were killed when a man who was being let go from his job opened fire at the Henry Pratt Co. in the Chicago suburb.

Another employee and five police officers were also wounded, according to Aurora police. They’ve received treatment at local hospitals.

Here’s what we know about the people who died in the shooting:
• Clayton Parks of Elgin, Illinois, was the human resources manager at Henry Pratt.
• Vicente Juarez from Oswego, Illinois, was a stockroom attendant and forklift operator at the company.
• Josh Pinkard, also of Oswego, was the plant manager.</s>If you get an error message, please refresh the page.

The suspected shooter in Aurora, Illinois, has been apprehended, according to the city’s official social media.

Mercy Medical Center and Rush Copley Medical Center are receiving patients from the shooting in Aurora, Illinois, according to Olga Solares, spokeswoman for Mercy.

Exact numbers and conditions are not known at this time.

Police in Aurora, Illinois, have responded to an active shooter situation at a manufacturing business, authorities said Friday.

“There is an active shooter situation in Aurora in the vicinity of Prairie Street and Highland Avenue. Multiple officers are on the scene. Please avoid the area,” the Kane County State’s Attorney Office tweeted.

There was no immediate reports of injuries.

Aerial video from the scene showed dozens of police vehicles outside the Henry Pratt Company.

An Aurora police department source said all police command staff left for the scene. The response includes at least six ambulances and six fire trucks.

Some schools near the shooting site went into “soft” lockdown, according to a message on the West Aurora School District 129 website.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also is responding to the scene, the agency tweeted.

Aurora has about 201,000 residents. It is 40 miles west of Chicago.

This is a developing story, more to come.</s>AURORA, Illinois — At least one person has been killed in a mass shooting in Aurora, Illinois, according to Chris Nelson with the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The suspected shooter has been apprehended and police officers and civilians are among those hurt in a shooting at a manufacturing business, officials said Friday.

Four police officers were injured as were a “number of civilians,” Ward 4 Alderman Bill Donnell told CNN, citing Deputy Mayor Chuck Nelson.

Some patients from the shooting were sent to Mercy Medical Center and Rush Copley Medical Center, according to Mercy spokeswoman Olga Solares.

It was unclear how many patients there were and their conditions, she said.

A spokesman for the city, Clayton Muhammad, said the four officers’ conditions were stable.

Police responded to an active shooter situation Friday afternoon at the Henry Pratt Company, authorities said.

Aerial video from the scene showed scores of police vehicles outside the company. The response included at least six ambulances and six fire trucks.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI are responding to the scene, the agencies tweeted.

Aurora has about 201,000 residents. It is 40 miles west of Chicago.

This is a developing story, more to come.</s>At least one person was killed and four police officers were wounded when a shooter opened fire at an industrial park in Aurora, Illinois, officials said Friday.

Chris Nelson, spokesman for the Kane County coroner's office, confirmed one person was killed. City spokesman Clayton Muhammad said four officers were wounded and in stable condition, but did not say if they were shot.

Muhammad also told ABC7 that the suspect had been "neutralized." He did not elaborate.

The Kane County coroner was at the scene.

A local hospital tweeted they were treating two patients with non-life threatening injuries, though it was unclear how many people were injured in total or if there were any fatalities.

Multiple media outlets are reporting injuries as a result of the shooting. CNN said four police officers and multiple civilians were struck during the incident.

Aerial images showed authorities responding to an active shooter incident at an Aurora, Illinois manufacturing business.

A local newspaper, the Daily Herald, and ABC7 Chicago also both reported there were multiple injuries in the shooting, though no word on any fatalities.

For a tense hour, hordes of police and emergency responders reported to the active shooting situation near Highland and Archer in Aurora.

Several local media outlets reported a massive police response at a manufacturing facility. which was identified as Henry Pratt Manufacturing by the local school district.

Aurora Police tweeted at 2:43 p.m. CT there was an active shooter incident at 641 Archer Avenue, but did not comment on any possible injuries or fatalities.

WGN reported there were several officers were injured responding to the active shooter, and they are in stable condition.

"[The City of Aurora spokesperson] could not provide the number of officers or civilians injured," Ben Bradley, a WGN anchor tweeted.

A witness who said he works in the building, John Probst, told ABC7 Chicago that a man who worked there "went ballistic" and was armed with a pistol. He told the television station the suspected shooter was in his 30s-40s and had worked there for about 15 years.

Probst said he was not hurt, but another colleague was "bleeding pretty bad."

The West Aurora School District 129 nearby reported they are holding students in place for their safety.

The Henry Pratt Company – which makes valves for potable water, wastewater, power generation and industrial markets - has long been based in the Chicago area.

ATF Chicago tweeted they are also responding to a reported active shooter situation in Aurora.

The newly-minted governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker tweeted he is monitoring the situation and encouraged all residents to follow directives from local law enforcement.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) tweeted his heart "breaks for Aurora." He said he is tracking updates with his staff and thanked law enforcement responding to the emergency.

"This is a scary, sad day for all Illinoisans and Americans," she tweeted. "Thank you to the brave first responders who risked their lives this afternoon and apprehended the shooter."

The White House says President Donald Trump has been briefed on a shooting in Illinois and is monitoring the situation.

Spokesman Sarah Sanders issued her statement Friday as Trump prepared to depart for a weekend trip to his home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Aurora, Ill. is a far southwest suburb of Chicago, about 40 miles from the downtown area.

This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.</s>(CNN) — Police have released the names of the victims in Friday’s mass shooting in Aurora, Illinois.

Five people were killed when a man who was being let go from his job opened fire at the Henry Pratt Co. in the Chicago suburb.

Here’s what we know about the people who died in the shooting:
• Trevor Wehner, a student at Northern Illinois University, was a human resources intern from Sheridan, Illinois. Friday was his first day as an intern at the company, according to a statement from the school’s president. He was set to graduate in May with a degree in human resource management.
• Clayton Parks of Elgin, Illinois, was the human resources manager at Henry Pratt. He was also an alumnus of Northern Illinois University, the school’s statement said. He graduated in 2014 from the College of Business.
• Vicente Juarez from Oswego, Illinois, was a stockroom attendant and forklift operator at the company.
• Josh Pinkard, also of Oswego, was the plant manager.

Another employee and five police officers were wounded, according to Aurora police.

Their injuries aren’t considered to be life-threatening, and they’ve received treatment at hospitals in the Chicago metro area.

The wounded officers range in age from 24 to 53, according to a news release, and have served in the police department from four to 30 years.

One officer was released from the hospital Friday, and another was set to be released Saturday, the news release said.

A sixth officer, who is 23, suffered a minor injury unrelated to gunfire. He’s served on the Aurora force for two years.</s>Breaking: Five victims of the mass shooting at an Illinois manufacturing business have died, Aurora Chief of Police Kristen Ziman told reporters. The shooter was killed, the chief said, but it was unclear whether she was including his death in the total.

Previous: The suspected shooter at a manufacturing business in Aurora, Illinois, has been killed, two federal law enforcement officials said Friday.

City officials said earlier on social media that the suspect had been apprehended, and the scene was secure.

The shooting took place Friday afternoon at Henry Pratt Company, which says it is one of the United States’ largest manufacturers of industrial valves.

Four police officers were injured as were a “number of civilians,” Ward 4 Alderman Bill Donnell told CNN, citing Deputy Mayor Chuck Nelson.

Social media posts from the city referred to the shooter as being “apprehended” and said more details would come at a news conference at police headquarters.

An employee at the Henry Pratt company, John Probst, told CNN affiliate WLS said the shooter was a co-worker and had a pistol.

Some patients from the shooting were sent to Mercy Medical Center and Rush Copley Medical Center, according to Mercy spokeswoman Olga Solares.

It was unclear how many patients there were and their conditions, she said.

A spokesman for the city, Clayton Muhammad, said the four officers’ conditions were stable.

Aerial video from the scene showed scores of police vehicles outside the neighboring companies. The response included at least six ambulances and six firetrucks.

After the incident, police also put up crime scene tape near the Alro Steel Company.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are responding to the scene, the agencies tweeted.

Aurora, a city of about 200,000 people, is located about 40 miles west of Chicago. It is the second-largest city in Illinois, according to the city’s website. Locals refer to Aurora as “City of Lights,” a nod to it being one of the first American cities to implement a fully electric street lighting system.

Aurora has a strong music and art scene, and is even the setting of the popular buddy-film Wayne’s World. Although a suburb of Chicago, Aurora has a long tradition of manufacturing.

This story has been updated from its previous version.</s>(Reuters) - Police on Friday were responding to an "active shooter" in Aurora, Illinois, city officials and police said on Twitter.

"We have an active shooter incident at 641 Archer Av. This is an active scene. Please avoid the area," Aurora police said in a tweet.

Video footage on local media showed numerous police cars surrounding a large commercial building in Aurora, which is located about 40 miles west of Chicago.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.</s>AURORA, Ill. – SWAT teams and Aurora Police have apprehended an active shooter at an industrial park in Aurora, Illinois.

Four police officers were injured as were a “number of civilians,” Aurora Illinois Ward 4 Alderman Bill Donnell told CNN, citing Deputy Mayor Chuck Nelson.

THE SHOOTER HAS BEEN APPREHENDED! The area is still on lock down! More information will be provided soon.

WGN reports that the shooter has been apprehended just after 3 p.m., about one hour after the police responded to the active shooter situation.

Local schools are on lockdown as police attempt to resolve this situation.

An employee at the Illinois company where a shooting has been reported says the gunman is a co-worker.

John Probst told ABC7 that he ran out of the back door of the Henry Pratt Co. building in Aurora as the shooting unfolded Friday afternoon.

Probst says he recognized the gunman and that he works at the company. He said the gunman has “a pistol with a laser.”

Probst says he wasn’t hurt but that another colleague was “bleeding pretty bad.”
Five people are dead and six others are injured during a mass shooting in Aurora, Illinois. The suspected shooter was later killed by police.