Police: Man Fired From Job Kills Co-Worker

Feb 19

TAYLOR, Mich. - A man who had just been fired from his job at a paper plant returned to his workplace with a handgun and shot two colleagues, killing one of them, authorities said.

The suspect, identified only as a 31-year-old Detroit man, was expected to be arraigned Sunday, police Lt. Frank Canning said Saturday.

Police in the Detroit suburb were called Friday afternoon and told that an employee was firing shots in the International Paper Co. plant, said police Sgt. Mary Sclabassi.

She said the gunman had just been dismissed because the company wasn't satisfied with his performance. The shooter went to his vehicle, got a handgun, returned to the building and shot the supervisor who fired him. He then shot a woman who tried to intervene, Sclabassi said.

She said the wounded supervisor and another employee who wasn't shot tackled the shooter, took the gun away and held him until police arrived.

"It actually could have been a lot worse if not for the bravery of one of our victims," Sclabassi said.

The woman who tried to intervene died during surgery, Canning said. Police said the wounded supervisor was stable. Their names were not released.