MANCHESTER, Conn. — A warehouse driver who a union official said was caught on video stealing beer from the distributorship where he worked went on a shooting rampage there Tuesday, killing eight people and wounding two before committing suicide.
Omar Thornton, 34, pulled a handgun after a meeting in which he had been offered the chance to quit or be fired, Manchester Police Chief Marc Montminy said. Among those killed was Thornton’s union representative at the meeting.
The gunman, who was black, had complained of racial harassment and said he found a picture of a noose and a racial epithet written on a bathroom wall, the mother of his girlfriend said. Her daughter told her that Thornton’s supervisors told him they would talk to his co-workers.
Brett Hollander, whose family owns the distributorship, said, “I can assure you there has never been any racial discrimination at our company.”
A union official said Thornton had not filed a complaint of racism with the union or any government agency.
Thornton had been caught on videotape stealing beer, Teamsters official Christopher Roos said.
“It’s got nothing to do with race,” Roos said. “This is a disgruntled employee who shot a bunch of people.”
Thornton’s girlfriend had been with him the night before the rampage and had no indication he was planning it, said her mother, Joanne Hannah.
Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, about 50 to 70 people were in the warehouse, about 10 miles east of Hartford, during a shift change when the gunman opened fire, Hollander said.
Adding to the chaos at the warehouse was a fire, which was put out. Montminy said he didn’t know how the fire started but didn’t think it was set.
The shooting was over in a matter of minutes, Montminy said.
The victims were found all over the complex, and authorities don’t know if Thornton fired randomly or targeted specific co-workers, Montminy said.
After his shooting spree, Thornton called his mother, Hannah said.
“He wanted to say goodbye and that he loved everybody,” she said.
Thornton was alive when police got to the scene but killed himself before officers got to him, Montminy said.
