Tragedy in Connecticut

[Magic Mom]

Terrible terrible news. My prayers go out to the families involved. I heard other reports that more had died.

Report: 9 shot dead at beer distributor in Conn.


MANCHESTER, Conn. — An employee who had been asked to resign opened fire Tuesday at a family-owned beer distributing company outside Hartford, killing eight people and wounding others before fatally shooting himself, an official told the Associated Press.

Authorities identified the alleged shooter as a warehouse worker named Omar Thornton. He reportedly turned the gun on himself as police approached.

The shooting took place at Hartford Distributors Inc., about 10 miles east of Hartford.

The driver had worked at the distributor for a couple of years and been called in for a disciplinary hearing, said John Hollis of the Connecticut Teamsters, who was with company officials at the scene of the shooting.

"The union was bringing him in to meet with the company to remedy the problem," Hollis told the Hartford Courant. "He started shooting."

Thornton shot a number of people inside and outside the building and then shot himself with a .223 caliber semiautomatic rifle as police approached, sources told the Courant.

Brett Hollander, Hartford Distributors' director of marketing, said about 50 to 70 people were in the warehouse at the time and that shifts were just changing.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Terribly tragic. I guess you just never really know how someone is going to react when fired or asked to resign. Always makes me nervous when DH has to fire someone.

My heart goes out to the families. No one ever thinks it's going to happen to them.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

Those poor families.

It just doesn't make any sense to me. Losing your job is horrible but going to jail for murder is much worse than losing your job.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Those poor families.

It just doesn't make any sense to me. Losing your job is horrible but going to jail for murder is much worse than losing your job.

He killed himself.

 

[Heidict]

New Haven register is now saying this:

MANCHESTER (AP) — A woman who knows the driver who fatally shot at least eight co-workers and himself at a Connecticut beer distribution company says he had complained of racial harassment at work.

Joanne Hannah says her daughter dated Omar Thornton for the past eight years. She says her daughter had no indication he planned anything violent Tuesday morning after he was asked to resign from Hartford Distributors and refused.

Hannah says Thornton, a black man, had complained to his superiors about a picture of a noose and a racial epithet in a bathroom at the distributor. Her daughter told her the supervisors did not respond to his complaints.

Hannah says Thornton called his own mother after the rampage “to say goodbye and that he loved everybody.”

Company officials have not responded to requests for comment.


Still never a good reason to go on a shooting rampage but it adds a new light on the story, if true.

 

[jrnunzio3]

My thoughts and prayers are going out to all of the employees and their families.

 

[memster]

How horrible my prayers and thoughts go out to all the families.

 

[pixiewings71]

How horrible...I was fired in June, I didn't go shoot anyone......I'm collecting unemployment while looking for more work.......those poor families...

 

[bumbershoot]

Awful. Just awful.

Kerri, I didn't realize that...I hope you find a job soon!

 

[Planogirl]

I wonder what pushes people over the edge like this? I've seen people horribly abused by my company but they just quietly leave thank goodness. What makes someone get so angry and take it out on other people in this way?

 

[DawnCt1]

New Haven register is now saying this:

MANCHESTER (AP) — A woman who knows the driver who fatally shot at least eight co-workers and himself at a Connecticut beer distribution company says he had complained of racial harassment at work.

Joanne Hannah says her daughter dated Omar Thornton for the past eight years. She says her daughter had no indication he planned anything violent Tuesday morning after he was asked to resign from Hartford Distributors and refused.

Hannah says Thornton, a black man, had complained to his superiors about a picture of a noose and a racial epithet in a bathroom at the distributor. Her daughter told her the supervisors did not respond to his complaints.

Hannah says Thornton called his own mother after the rampage “to say goodbye and that he loved everybody.”

Company officials have not responded to requests for comment.


Still never a good reason to go on a shooting rampage but it adds a new light on the story, if true.

Sounds like a huge excuse. According to the evening news, the union has heard nothing about this. He got caught stealing beer on video surveilance and he was being called in to either resign or be fired for stealing. He knew it and he planned it. My SIL knows one of the men who was killed today. Her neighbor was on the phone with another talking to him right after it happened. He had stopped to mail a letter and was a few minutes late, otherwise he would have been in the room at the same time the shooter was. As it was, he and a couple of other co workers heard shots fired, ran into an office, locked the door and hid under desks until the swat team came and asked who was in the room. They responded with, "employees".

 

[LuvOrlando]

Tragic, my heart breaks every time I read about these sorts of stories.

I wonder if there are psychologists who specialize in employee termination? Something mainstream that small businesses could incorporate? Obviously, companies that are letting people go are doing so due to finances and therefore can't afford pricey expert advice. But aren't there any humanitarian experts like Oprah, Dr. Phil or Dr. Drew who could put something well publicized together to help small businesses figure out how to recognize and handle troubled employees before any more tragedies happen?

 

[castleview]

Terribly tragic. I guess you just never really know how someone is going to react when fired or asked to resign. Always makes me nervous when DH has to fire someone.

My heart goes out to the families. No one ever thinks it's going to happen to them.

I so understand. I had a great boss at a home improvement company. Employees had no idea how good they had it. The day before Christmas, a subcontractor who didn't complete the job, was coming to get his check. We only paid for what was done. The boss left the check on my desk since I was closest to the door. I said "Great. So I'll get to be the first victim of the Christmas Eve Massacre." I expected a laugh or to be told "knock it off", but he just shrugged wide-eyed as if that was always in the back of his mind.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I wonder what pushes people over the edge like this? I've seen people horribly abused by my company but they just quietly leave thank goodness. What makes someone get so angry and take it out on other people in this way?

I don't know. It sure makes you wonder. It's just so sad.

Who knows what else might have been going on in his life, or his upbringing. How many Holocaust survivors went on to live productive lives when other people who experienced far less fall apart. How does someone like John McCain survive years as a POW, yet other veterans return home more emotionally damaged.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

New Haven register is now saying this:

MANCHESTER (AP) — A woman who knows the driver who fatally shot at least eight co-workers and himself at a Connecticut beer distribution company says he had complained of racial harassment at work.

Joanne Hannah says her daughter dated Omar Thornton for the past eight years. She says her daughter had no indication he planned anything violent Tuesday morning after he was asked to resign from Hartford Distributors and refused.

Hannah says Thornton, a black man, had complained to his superiors about a picture of a noose and a racial epithet in a bathroom at the distributor. Her daughter told her the supervisors did not respond to his complaints.

Hannah says Thornton called his own mother after the rampage “to say goodbye and that he loved everybody.”

Company officials have not responded to requests for comment.


Still never a good reason to go on a shooting rampage but it adds a new light on the story, if true.

I am sorry but I don't buy that crap. I think it is someone trying to come up with an excuse for some SOB's actions. The amount of lives he has impacted is unimaginable.

For the record this happened not to far from me and my DH's co-worker is friend's with the owner of the company and his son's (DH's co-worker)
best friend lost his father today. The media definietly hasn't given the entire story. He was stealing and that is why he was going to lose his job.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

I don't know. It sure makes you wonder. It's just so sad.

Who knows what else might have been going on in his life, or his upbringing. How many Holocaust survivors went on to live productive lives when other people who experienced far less fall apart. How does someone like John McCain survive years as a POW, yet other veterans return home more emotionally damaged.

I think it comes down to choices. Everyone has a choice in how they respond to something. Some people make the right choice and others obviously don't.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I think it comes down to choices. Everyone has a choice in how they respond to something. Some people make the right choice and others obviously don't.

Everyone also has experiences throughout their lives that make them uniquely who they are. A person who gets fired and goes home and starts making a plan for finding another job is making the right choice; the person who shoots up the office is making the wrong choice. But it's hardly that simple. They are not the same type of people just deciding to make different decisions.