Gunman Kills 2 Execution-Style At Fresno, Calif. Chicken Plant

[News_Editor]

Gunman kills 2 execution-style at Fresno, Calif. chicken plant < br />

2012-11-08 11:59:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

FRESNO, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- A gunman attacked his co-workers Tuesday at a chicken-processing plant in central California, killing two of them execution-style and wounding two others before taking his own life, police said on Wednesday. The motive was not immediately clear.

The incident happened at around 8:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday when the gunman, identified as 42-year-old ex-convict Lawrence Jones, walked into chicken-processing plant Apple Valley Farms in Fresno, the fifth largest city in the state, with a handgun and began attacking some of his co-workers.

Police Chief Jerry Dyer said two people, identified as 32-year-old Salvador Diaz and 34-year-old Manuel Verdin, were killed execution-style when Jones put the handgun on their head or neck before pulling the trigger. Arnulfo Conrriguez, 28, was also shot and critically injured while Fatima Lopez, 32, was shot in the back as she tried to flee.

After shooting his co-workers, which went largely unnoticed because of the loud noise at the plant and employees wearing noise protectors, Jones allegedly put the handgun to the head of another co-worker and pulled the trigger but discovered he was out of bullets. He then walked outside and fatally shot himself in the head after reloading his gun.

The motive for the attack was not immediately known, and authorities said it was unclear whether Jones was specifically targeting some people or if he was attacking them indiscriminately. According to the police chief, the attacker had an extensive criminal record which dates back to the 1990s.

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