Six Killed at Lockheed Martin Plant

[herpa2003]

MERIDIAN, Miss. — As many as six people were killed in a workplace shooting in Mississippi Tuesday.

Lauderdale County authorities said a gunman opened fire at a Lockheed Martin plant outside Meridian, hitting several people.

Sheriff Billy Sollie told reporters that the gunman had killed five before he himself died.

"He went through the entire plant, shooting individuals through the facility. There was no one small area," Sollie said.

A local reporter told Fox News that at least eight people had been injured.

Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith confirmed to Fox News that there had been "multiple deaths, multiple injuries," and that the shooter was "no longer a threat," but that he had no further information.

A sheriff's dispatcher said she could not confirm reports of deaths.

"All we can say at this point is that there was a shooting out at Lockheed and several people were injured," the dispatcher said. "The sheriff is on the scene."

A local radio reporter told Fox News that the gunman, whom he described as a current employee, was armed with a shotgun and semiautomatic weapon.

Officials at the plant declined to comment and a Lockheed Martin national spokeswoman was unavailable to immediately provide details.

"We're just trying to gather information and are working with state and local authorities to determine the details of the incident," said spokeswoman Meaghan Mariman from the company's Bethesda, Md., headquarters.

The plant builds structural subassemblies for the C-130J Hercules transport plane and the F-22 Raptor fighter-bomber.

Lockheed Martin is the largest defense contractor in the United States. The corporation had sales of $24 billion in 2001. It employs about 125,000 people.

Subsidiary Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. is based in Fort Worth, Texas.

[mojo628]

** BREAKING NEWS **
Gunman strikes Lockheed

from staff reports
July 8, 2003 11 a.m.

A heavily-armed man walked into the Lockheed-Martin manufacturing plant today at the Montgomery Industrial Park and opened fire. Early reports indicated that as many as six people were killed and at least half a dozen more wounded.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie said the shooter, who had not been identified as of press time, was dead, apparently after turning a gun on himself.

Lauderdale County sheriff’s deputies, Meridian city police, state Highway Patrol and representatives of the state Crime Lab were investigating the incident.

At the scene, Lockheed Martin employees were gathered in the break room as the buildings were secured by law officers. Reporters observed at least eight ambulances coming and going as at least eight victims were transported to local hospitals by 10:45 a.m.

Early reports indicated that a man dressed in camouflage clothing and carrying a shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle entered Lockheed buildings and began to fire. The reasons for his actions were not readily apparent.

Officials were working on compiling a list of Lockheed employees so they could begin the task of confirming the dead and notifying families.

Mary Busby, whose husband Gary has worked 20 years for the parts department at Lockheed, was pacing on Russell-Marion Road about 100 yards away from the building.

She had joined about 30 other family members who were waiting for news from the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.

Busby was at work at Rush Foundation Hospital when her mother-in-law called her about the shooting and said that Gary was OK.

“She called me and told me about it, but I haven’t got to talk to him yet,” said Busby, who was still wearing her hospital scrubs. “I’m just trying to find out what happened and what’s going on and make sure he’s OK.”

Lockheed-Martin manufacturers a tail component of the F-22 Raptor, a new generation jet fighter aircraft.

The Meridian Star - News

[mojo628]