‘Senseless violence:’ Fired MillerCoors employee killed 5; shooter dead
MILWAUKEE (WITI)— Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales said five MillerCoors employees were fatally shot at their workplace Wednesday, Feb. 26. The shooter, a Milwaukee man, 51, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. No members of the public were involved.
On Wednesday evening, police were screening people and checking off workers one by one — an arduous task.
An employee told our sister station, FOX6, the Milwaukee campus would remain closed for the rest of the week.
FOX6 obtained this letter from Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley:
MillerCoors shooting: Letter from Molson Coors’ CEO Gavin Hattersley
The shooting happened in the Miller Valley near 41st and State amid Molson Coors’ annual conference in Houston. KTRK reported employees, including distributors from across the country, were at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston for the three-day conference, which began Monday, Feb. 24, and was being held for distributors. KTRK reported a reception that was planned after the conference was canceled, along with other events, and Hattersley addressed attendees, making them aware of the shooting before flying back to Milwaukee.
A Froedtert Hospital spokesman told FOX6: “We are aware of the situation. As we know more, we will let you know.” As of 5 p.m., FOX6 was told Froedtert had no victims from this incident.
The shooter was an employee in uniform, sources said. That employee was fired Wednesday, Feb. 26, sources said.
MillerCoors employees ‘shaken’ amid ‘intense situation’
Here’s a look at the alert employees received:
One MillerCoors employee who works in accounts receivable said they were placed under lockdown, and described an “intense situation.” She said no one was being allowed to leave. She shared video with FOX6 — showing multiple officers responding to the incident.
The wife of a MillerCoors employee told FOX6 her husband witnessed one of the shootings. She said he was “very shaken up,” and was driving home from work when FOX6 spoke with her. She told FOX6: “All he said so far was that he saw a guy get shot in the head about 15 ft from him. He is an Army Vet and is having difficulty processing this shooting.”
Fast facts on Miller Brewing in Milwaukee
- 8.5 million barrels of beer brewed here every year in Milwaukee.
- 1,400 jobs in Milwaukee.
- Founded in 1855 by Frederick Miller in Milwaukee.
Molson Coors Beverage Co. is the corporate parent company of MillerCoors. At the end of 2019, Milwaukee Mayor To Barrett announced Molson Coors was moving hundreds of corporate office jobs to Milwaukee, in addition to the 1,400 existing Milwaukee jobs. While the company announced a net “hundreds” of jobs would be added, they did say some jobs would be moved or lost here in Milwaukee due to the corporate restructuring.
Molson Coors headquarters is in Denver, Colorado. The company employs about 17,750 workers internationally, according to Fortune.com.
If you or someone you know was impacted by this incident — resources are available through the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention.