1 dead, 4 hurt in St. Louis factory rampage
Report: Suspect was plaintiff in class-action lawsuit over pension plan
ST. LOUIS - A man armed with an assault rifle and handgun walked into a plant in St. Louis Thursday and opened fire, killing one person and wounding four others, authorities said.
The shooting occurred around 6:30 a.m. at the ABB Power factory on the city's north side.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper reported some employees ran to the building's rooftop to escape the gunfire while another man barricaded himself in a maintenance room.
A company supervisor told police that the gunman was a disgruntled worker who may have recently lost his job, according to the paper.
Fire department spokesman Bob Keuss identified the suspected shooter as Timothy Herndon, of Webster Groves, Mo. KMOX radio said he had worked for the company for 23 years.
Police established a two-mile perimeter around the plant. Police said up to 50 people were in the building at the time of the shooting.
The Post-Dispatch reported that the suspect was a plaintiff in a class-action federal lawsuit against ABB and its pension review committee over financial losses.
According to court documents available online, Herndon was among the plaintiffs of a lawsuit alleging "breach of fiduciary duty" and challenging fees charged to 401 (k) plans and participants.
Class-action lawsuit
A police hostage response team was inside the building, KSDK reported. Police said there was no indication that hostages were being held.
Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson confirmed that one person had died. Another victim was in critical condition while a third was in serious condition, he added.
At 7:15 a.m. local time, one victim hiding in the plant called police to say he had been shot in the stomach, leg and arm, the paper reported. The man said he was with another shooting victim, a man who was unconscious and not breathing.
One victim was found on the 10th floor of the building, according to KSDK. The St. Louis Fire Department set up a staging area near the plant with six ambulances on standby.
Bob Fethmier, a spokesman for ABB Power, told NBC News that "we are in touch with some of the folks in the building."
"Police are sweeping through area and taking people out as they go," he added.
Ammunition belt
Fethmier said about 100 people would typically have been in the building at that time of day. However, snowy weather was thought to have kept some employees home.
According to the Post-Dispatch, police had been told the shooter was carrying an ammunition belt.
Swiss-based ABB Group makes power transmission and industrial automation equipment. The company manufactures transformers at the St. Louis site, according to its Web site.
ABB has operations in roughly 100 countries, employing about 120,000 people. Last October, ABB reported third-quarter earnings of more than $1 billion.
Report: Suspect was plaintiff in class-action lawsuit over pension plan
ST. LOUIS - A man armed with an assault rifle and handgun walked into a plant in St. Louis Thursday and opened fire, killing one person and wounding four others, authorities said.
The shooting occurred around 6:30 a.m. at the ABB Power factory on the city's north side.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper reported some employees ran to the building's rooftop to escape the gunfire while another man barricaded himself in a maintenance room.
A company supervisor told police that the gunman was a disgruntled worker who may have recently lost his job, according to the paper.
Fire department spokesman Bob Keuss identified the suspected shooter as Timothy Herndon, of Webster Groves, Mo. KMOX radio said he had worked for the company for 23 years.
Police established a two-mile perimeter around the plant. Police said up to 50 people were in the building at the time of the shooting.
The Post-Dispatch reported that the suspect was a plaintiff in a class-action federal lawsuit against ABB and its pension review committee over financial losses.
According to court documents available online, Herndon was among the plaintiffs of a lawsuit alleging "breach of fiduciary duty" and challenging fees charged to 401 (k) plans and participants.
Class-action lawsuit
A police hostage response team was inside the building, KSDK reported. Police said there was no indication that hostages were being held.
Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson confirmed that one person had died. Another victim was in critical condition while a third was in serious condition, he added.
At 7:15 a.m. local time, one victim hiding in the plant called police to say he had been shot in the stomach, leg and arm, the paper reported. The man said he was with another shooting victim, a man who was unconscious and not breathing.
One victim was found on the 10th floor of the building, according to KSDK. The St. Louis Fire Department set up a staging area near the plant with six ambulances on standby.
Bob Fethmier, a spokesman for ABB Power, told NBC News that "we are in touch with some of the folks in the building."
"Police are sweeping through area and taking people out as they go," he added.
Ammunition belt
Fethmier said about 100 people would typically have been in the building at that time of day. However, snowy weather was thought to have kept some employees home.
According to the Post-Dispatch, police had been told the shooter was carrying an ammunition belt.
Swiss-based ABB Group makes power transmission and industrial automation equipment. The company manufactures transformers at the St. Louis site, according to its Web site.
ABB has operations in roughly 100 countries, employing about 120,000 people. Last October, ABB reported third-quarter earnings of more than $1 billion.
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