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.
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.
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