Two Killed, Three Wounded in Shooting at Chester Business; Suspect Apprehended
On Wednesday morning, an employee at a business in Chester, Pennsylvania, opened fire, killing two individuals and badly injuring three more.
The suspect, who Action News found had previously made threats, is now in arrest. That person’s name has not been revealed. The shooting occurred around 8:30 a.m. at Delaware County Linen, located in the 2600 block of West 4th Street.
Officials confirmed that the individuals who perished were employees. “Two individuals who, unfortunately, have lost their lives simply by showing up to work today,” Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer stated. It’s unclear what prompted the suspect to begin fire, or whether the victims were intentionally targeted.
Employees claim to know the suspect well. One woman told us that he had a persistent problem. “Many people filed complaints against him at the office,” the employee stated. “No, listen.” That employee was on vacation Wednesday, but she said she came to the site when she heard what had transpired.
She informed Action News that the gunman was quite aggressive and frequently wore a gun on his belt. She informed us that the man indicated he didn’t care and would be ok shooting people. Employees initially mistook the sound of gunshots for an explosion caused by cleaning chemicals.
That was until they heard coworkers advise them to leave the building and seek cover.
“We’re all terrified because of what happened. We noticed someone was approaching, but we didn’t remain to see what happened. “Everyone just ran for their lives,” explained another employee.
According to Chester Mayor Stefan Roots, one of the people shot was a supervisor at the business. It’s unclear whether that supervisor was among the fatalities.
Eric Spencer claims he witnessed the incident. He claims it began as an argument among several of his coworkers, including the gunman. “I stood there for a minute before walking away because I did not understand Spanish. When I turned back, a guy had taken a revolver from his pocket and was at point-blank range,” he explained.
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Spencer claimed he heard the rest of the bullets but didn’t see them because he was already fleeing, and for good reason. “We just argued yesterday,” he added, alluding to the gunman. “My friend grabbed me, he said, ‘Come on, let’s go, let’s go.”
On Wednesday morning, Chopper 6 flew above the site of a shooting at a company in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Following the incident, the suspect escaped in his vehicle. However, he was stopped by a police officer in Trainer, Pennsylvania, who recognized the car description. The man was apprehended along Kane and Culhane streets in Chester.
According to a police source and a neighbor, that is where the suspect lives, therefore he was likely headed home after the incident.
The neighbor stated that she observed the guy on the ground being arrested. She also mentioned that the family had recently relocated to the area from Puerto Rico. “I looked out the window after the police sirens woke me up,” said neighbor Christina Martinez. “And there’s my neighbor on the ground, being arrested and taken away. “It was like a movie.” Other neighbors stated they are a pleasant family who are startled by what happened on Wednesday.
Officials claim a gun was found inside the suspect’s automobile. It was not immediately clear whether that was the weapon used in the shooting. The three wounded victims are alleged to have suffered critical injuries. Chester Police officers took one of the injured victims to the hospital.
The victims’ names have not been disclosed.
“It speaks to guns in America,” said Roots, who noted that his little town has seen a period of relative calm in recent years, with violent crime on the wane. “Violence is inherently unpredictable. We don’t know what folks go through in a poor city like ours.
Roots urged Pennsylvania politicians to address the gun crisis, particularly as it affects persons with mental health issues.
“We can’t have guns in the hands of the wrong people,” Roots stated. “There had to be some type of mental health issue that would have an employee walk into his workplace on a day of work and take out his anger in such a violent way – to not just the boss, but his coworkers, who he probably worked side-by-side with for years.”