14 injured in KS workplace shooting

14 injured in KS workplace shooting
HESSTON, Kan. (KSNW) Law enforcement officers responded to the scene of a workplace shooting at Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas Thursday afternoon with reports of multiple deaths and others wounded. The incident began about 4:40pm CT.
Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton confirmed at a news conference that 4 people were dead, including the shooter, and 14 others were wounded. The shooter was an Excel employee.
Officials say area hospitals received 12 victims. Six victims were transported to Via Christi Hospital. Two victims are in critical condition and four victims are stable. Four victims were transported to Wesley Hospital. Officials say three are critical and one is in surgery. Newton Medical Center received four patients. All are in stable condition.
Sheriff T. Walton said the shooting started in Newton at 12th and Meridian. Two people were shot while driving their vehicles. One person was hurt. The other person wasn’t. Walton says the shooter continued north on Highway 81 where he shot another person in the leg.Cheap Jerseys from china
“There was a report of a stolen vehicle. That vehicle was the person that got shot. The shooter took that video and went on into Excel Industries. Once he got to Excel Industries, he shot a person in the parking lot and he entered into the building itself,” said Sheriff T. Walton. “Inside the building he shot a total of 15 people. Four were killed including himself, the shooter.”
Walton said law enforcement confronted the shooter and gunfire was exchanged between officers and the shooter. Officers killed the shooter.
PHOTOS: Workplace shooting in Kansas
A manager at the plant told KSN when gunfire broke out, the first action was to get the doors open and get employees out of the building.
Marguerite Weaver works at grocery store near the plant. She reports that her father in law works at the plant and she hasn’t heard from him yet. She was advised to lock down the store.
Marguerite told us that Excel was a wonderful company in the community. “I am completely blown away. I thought it was a lie,” said Weaver.
A worker named Dillon was at the plant unloading palettes when he heard the gunshots. He thought at first it was just noise then someone told them there was someone shooting in the front of the plant.
A plant employee named Donna said her husband reported seeing the shooter. She said she had not received any training to deal with a shooter situation like the one at her plant. She told KSN when she left the building she immediately ran to her truck. “I didn’t even buckle my seat belt I was so scared,” Donna said.
“We were out back unloading the palettes and we heard a pop, pop”, said Dillon.
We talked to a woman who drove to Hesston from Valley Center, concerned about her daughter that was working second shift at the plant. Her daughter had called and told her there was a shooting and she was taking cover.
Donna said she saw the gunman and that he had a dark complexion and was wearing a muscle shirt.
Employees were asked to stay in the area of the plant so officials could get a head count.
KSN Chief Photojournalist Scott Dietz reports as he was driving to Hesston there were three ambulances headed toward Wichita. Deputies say a man is in the hospital after a shooting that happened due to a dispute over a dog in Anderson County.
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