Murder-Suicide At Indiana Cummins Plant: Employee Fatally Shoots Manager, Then Kills Himself
Two people are dead after a murder-suicide in Seymour, Indiana, Thursday morning.
Wish TV News 8 reports that the murder-suicide took place on the second floor of the Cummins plant building in a meeting room.
I am en route to the Cummins Engine Plant in Seymour. This is not an active shooter situation at this time. Believed to be murder/suicide.
— Sgt. Stephen Wheeles (@ISPVersailles) March 10, 2016
The Seymour Cummins engine plant is currently surrounded by law officials and was put on lockdown. Cummins spokesman Jon Mills says that police are still investigating the plant.
This story is still in development and details are still being uncovered. Check back with the Inquisitr for updates on the Cummins murder-suicide in Indiana.
Cummins themselves have issued a series of tweets regarding the devastating murder-suicide at their Indiana plant,
We are working to support employees and their families at this time. (3 of 4)
— Cummins Inc. (@Cummins) March 10, 2016
The company is diligently working to figure out more details of the murder-suicide as well.
We will provide further information as soon as it’s available. (4 of 4).
— Cummins Inc. (@Cummins) March 10, 2016
The Indy Star reports that the relationship between the murder-suicide victims was that of a manager and a disgruntled Cummins employee.
The two men were fatally shot at the Indiana Cummins in Seymour during an apparent scuffle, police said Thursday.
The employee reportedly initiated the murder suicide by first fatally shooting his boss, and then turned the gun on himself.
Seymour Police Chief Bill Abbott said the shooting took place shortly around 8:30 a.m. Local businesses that surround Cummins were placed on lock-down in addition.
Police found both men in a conference room at Cummins. Reports indicate that two to four shots were fired initially.
Police are trying to figure out if anyone else witnessed the murder-suicide at Cummins. There are no further reports of anymore casualties as no other injuries were reported.
Police have yet to identify the men
By 9:30 a.m., police claimed that the area was secure. The Cummins campus was subsequently closed and Cummins employees were sent home.
After all Cummins evacuated, The Seymour Police and SWAT officials conducted a final sweep of the building to further confirm that the plant was secure.
[Update]
The Indy Report has discovered that Seymour Police have identified the two men involved in the Cummins murder-suicide Ward R. Edwards, 49, of Columbus, and Qing Chen, 37, of Seymour.
Police have suspect that Chen, the employee, was responsible for the shooting of his supervisor at Cummins, Edwards.
Cummins employee, Andrew Berrones, said he heard screams throughout Cummins’ Seymour plant Thursday morning.
"I heard screams," said employee Andrew Berrones. "Someone told us to get out." pic.twitter.com/IMovizv0Rb
— Madeline Buckley (@Mabuckley88) March 10, 2016
Immediately afterwards he heard voices shout, “Outside. Let’s Go.”
Confused, the 23-year-old drafter hustled out of the building.
“Someone just told us to get out,” he said.
Subsequently the entire facility, about 1,1oo workers to be precise, became aware of what was unraveling at their workplace, they have just been working amid a tragic murder-suicide.
Employees are starting to leave. pic.twitter.com/hIyFoz5fH9
— Madeline Buckley (@Mabuckley88) March 10, 2016
And soon, the entire town took notice, as the Cummins plant has long been a staple in the Seymour, Indiana community.
People in town are pretty shocked, talking about how Seymour is a tight-knit community, Cummins is biggest employer.
— Madeline Buckley (@Mabuckley88) March 10, 2016
"Almost everyone in the community is associated with Cummins one way or another," said Greg Brewer, who grew up on "Cummins money."
— Madeline Buckley (@Mabuckley88) March 10, 2016
What was the motive behind the murder-suicide in Indiana?
Executive director of the National Institute for the Prevention of Workplace Violence, W. Barry Nixon, says that workplace violence usually stems from one employee having the perception that he or she has been “wronged” in some way.
The director goes on to tell reporters and officials of the Cummins murder-suicide that the injustice is usually only in the mind of the employee who acts out the violent act.
Each case is different because you’re dealing with an individual human being, there are some common denominators that cut across, though. One of the core things tends to be a perceived injustice. Again, I put an emphasis on perceived, because it’s obviously in the eye of beholder.
Nixon added that the murder-suicide case in Seymour Indiana is unusual because most types of workplace violence only involve physical assaults, threats, or homicide at its worse.
[ShutterStock/Photographee.eu]
