UPDATE Feb. 25, 11:22 p.m. EST:
Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton confirmed during a news conference that four are dead, including the gunman, and 14 are injured. Ten of the injured are in critical condition, according to Associated Press.
Televised reports say the 38-year-old suspect, Cedric Ford, was originally from Miami and had a criminal record in two counties in Florida.
--
A shooting at Excel Industries in Hesston, Kan., shortly after 5 p.m. today has left multiple people dead, including the gunman, and 20 to 30 people wounded. An employee with the company, who spoke with the Wichita Eagle, said he heard gunshots a few hours into the 2:45 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. shift and then people began yelling to others to leave the building. “He was coming at everybody,” said the employee.
The shooter was reportedly armed with a long rifle and a handgun, according to the Wichita Eagle. While his name has not been officially released yet, eyewitnesses told KWCH 12 that he was Excel Industries employee Cedric Ford.
Harvey Country Sheriff T. Walton said four to seven people were killed and about 20 people were injured, according to KWCH 12. He also confirmed that the shooter was killed by authorities.
At least 16 people were hospitalized, according to ABC News. Four are at Newton Medical Center, five at Wesley Hospital and seven at Via Christi Hospital.
“This is just a horrible incident here,” said Walton, according to the Wichita Eagle. “It’s going to be a lot of sad people before this is all over.”
“There are numerous crime scenes involved here, and we have a team of KBI coming in, the FBI coming in, we’ve got all the local law enforcement here and this will take some time to work through this,” added Walton, reported KSNW-TV. “There are so many crime scenes and so many people.”
According to the Wichita Eagle, Excel Industries manufactures turf care products and its office located in Hesston is about 35 miles north of Wichita.
During the melee, nearby Hesston College was placed on lockdown. A note on the school’s website reads: “Campus lockdown is over. Hesston College took precautionary measures and went into immediate lockdown when reports were received about the Excel Industries shooting. The shooter was not on campus, but at a work place several blocks from campus. No students or employees were in immediate danger and all students and employees on campus complied with the lockdown alert. The safety of our students is our top priority. Our thoughts and prayers are with the shooting victims and their families, as well as everyone at Excel and the entire Hesston community.”
Meanwhile, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback sent out a tweet that said: “Please send your thoughts and prayers to the people of Hesston tonight.”
The next briefing in this ongoing investigation will take place at 9 p.m. local time, reported KWCH 12.
