Police identified the shooter as a 45-year-old who they believed worked at the company
Authorities have now released the names of the five people killed in Friday's mass shooting at a manufacturing firm outside of Chicago. Police say the suspect was not even supposed to be in possession of a gun.
Police responded to the shooting Friday afternoon at the Henry Pratt Company in Aurora. The FBI, ATF and U.S. Marshals also responded.
Five civilians were killed. They are identified as Clayton Parks, the Human Resources Manager, Trevor Wehner, a Human Resources Intern and student at Northern Illinois University, Russell Buyer, a Mold Operator, Vicente Juarez, a Stock Room Attendant and Josh Pinkard, the Plant Manager.
The President of Northern Illinois University, Dr. Lisa Freeman, issued a statement Saturday, mourning the loss.
It is with deep sadness that I write today to share that NIU student Trevor Wehner and alumnus Clay Parks were killed yesterday afternoon in the workplace shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora, IL. Trevor was from Sheridan, IL, and expected to graduate in May with a degree in Human Resource Management. Friday was his first day as an intern at Henry Pratt. Clay was a 2014 graduate of the College of Business and worked as a human resources manager,” it said in part.
Another male victim who was also an employee, was treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Authorities did not release his name.
Five police officers were also wounded, CBS News reported, all of the injured officers are male, ranging in age from 24 to 53 years old. They have spent between 3 to 30 years serving the Aurora Police Department.
While the officers sustained non-life threatening injuries, two of the officers were airlifted to local trauma centers.
A sixth officer was treated for a minor injury unrelated to the gunfire.
Police identified the shooter as 45-year-old Gary Martin. He'd worked at the company for 15 years and died in a shootout with police.
Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman says he reportedly showed up to a termination meeting Friday.
Once he learned he'd been fired, police say he began shooting right after the meeting ended. They say many of the deceased were also at that meeting.
According to police, Martin left that meeting room and continued firing. At least one of the victims was found on another level of the plant.
Chief Ziman said Martin had six prior arrests related to traffic and domestic violence. He was last arrested in Aurora in 2008 for violating an order of protection.
Martin’s last arrest was in 2017 in Oswego, IL for disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property. Chief Ziman also added that Martin was not supposed to have the gun allegedly used in the shooting.
In January, 2014, Martin was issued an Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID). Two months later, he applied for and purchased a 40 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun from a local dealer.
Ten days later, on March 16 2014, Martin applied for a concealed carry permit at an unknown location.
During the fingerprinting and background check process, his August,1995 felony conviction for aggravated assault in Mississippi came up. Authorities say that conviction would not necessarily have shown up on a criminal background check for a FOID card.
Once the felony conviction was discovered, Martin’s concealed carry permit was rejected and Illinois State Police revoked his FOID card.
Cops say they sent him a letter telling him to voluntarily return that same firearm used in the shooting, but he did not.
At this point, investigators are looking into why he did not surrender the weapon and whether or not police followed up with him about it.
