A disgruntled former employee allegedly shot five people – two fatally – inside a linen shop in a Philadelphia suburb.
The shooting broke out around 8.30am on Wednesday at Delaware County Linen in Chester, authorities said.
‘This is a tragedy, a story that plays out too often across the United States of America,’ said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.
‘A disgruntled employee has walked into a linen shop – the Delaware County Linen shop behind us – and shot five people, five co-workers, two are deceased, three are at the hospital.’
The suspect fled in a vehicle after opening fire and was taken into custody shortly after at a traffic stop close to Trainer.
His identity was not immediately released, and a motive has not been determined.
Three people in serious condition were taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center.
‘We have three other people who are at the hospital right now and we are all praying for them,’ said Stollsteimer.
One of the victims was the gunman’s supervisor, said Chester Mayor Stefan Roots.
The ‘full service linen company’ opened its doors in 1988, according to its website. It provides linen rentals and sales and laundry services for local businesses.
A handgun was used in the shooting on the 2600 block of West 4th Street. The suspect sprayed bullets inside and outside of the shop.
The district attorney said there are ‘just too many guns in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them’.
‘Here you’ve got somebody who’s a disgruntled employee of this business, doesn’t like some of his coworkers for whatever reason and decides to come in and kill them,’ Stollsteimer told CBS News Philadelphia.
‘So we’ve got two people dead. These people just went to work today like every other day, thinking they’re just carrying on with their life and now they’re lying on the ground dead.’
The mayor said Chester is a ‘really tight-knit community’ and ‘never expected to be the epicenter of another episode of workplace violence’.
‘We all know each other,’ Roots said. ‘We’re all family, and this is why it hurts for so many of us.’
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