Police have confirmed that the gunman in This morning’s shooting spree at a north St. Louis factory is dead. Authorities say the suspect shot at least eight other people before then shooting and killing himself.
According to police, the shooting started at approximately 6:30 a.m. at the ABB Power facility in north St. Louis located at 4350 Semple Avenue.
Employees identified the shooter as a current ABB employee. Police received information that multiple persons were wounded and that the suspect’s whereabouts were unknown.
Authorities say of the eight other people shot, three were pronounced dead at the scene and five were taken to area hospitals with injuries. Three are listed in critical condition and two are listed in fair condition. The department is working to make next of kin notifications before releasing the names of the deceased victims. The suspect’s name will be released upon positive identification to be made by the suspect’s next of kin – but is said to be Timothy Hendron, 51, of Webster Groves.
The plant was sealed off by police. Nearby businesses were placed on lock down, Interstate 70 was closed in both directions and streets in the area were blocked while police SWAT teams and armored vehicles moved in and around the building.
The Associated Press reported that while the motive for the shooting wasn’t immediately known, Hendron and other ABB workers sued the company over retirement losses in 2006. The federal lawsuit accused ABB and its pension-review committee of causing their 401(k) accounts to include investment options with “unreasonable and excessive” — and undisclosed — fees and expenses. The suit went to trial Tuesday in Kansas City.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.