5 Victims Identified In Illinois Factory Mass Shooting
The five victims killed during a mass shooting at an Illinois factory have been identified.
Gunman Gary Martin, an employee of 15 years at Henry Pratt Co., stormed the warehouse in Aurora Friday afternoon with a Smith & Wesson handgun and began firing. Martin killed five employees and wounded five officers who responded to the shooting. Martin was killed during an exchange of gunfire with police.
In a statement released Saturday, the Aurora Illinois Police Department identified the victims killed:
Trevor Wehner, 21, was a human resources intern and a student at Northern Illinois University. It was his first day at the job, according to WGN News.
One of the Aurora shooting victims now identified as 21 year old Trevor Wehner. Family friend says it was his first day at the Henry Pratt company. He was an HR intern who was sitting in on the shooter’s firing. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/iLAFAIAqDQ
— Ben Bradley (@BenBradleyTV) February 16, 2019
Russell Beyer was a mold operator at the company.
Vincente Juarez was a stock room attendant and forklift operator at the warehouse.
Clayton Parks was a human resources manager. His wife, Abby Parks, said she is living in a “terrible dream” following his death.
“My husband, my love, my best friend, and the incredible father of our sweet son was taken from us yesterday in the shooting in Aurora, and I am devastated,” she wrote in a Facebook post.
Josh Pinkard was a plant manager at the company. He was a father and husband, reported WVTM13. He had recently moved from his home state of Alabama to Illinois for the job, according to a social media post from a user identified as his cousin.
Josh Pinkard's family shared with us this photo. Josh was shot and killed in the Aurora shooting. His uncle told me he was a loving husband and father who deeply impacted the community. Tonight at 5:00 and 6:00pm, hear from his family about this tragic loss. @WVTM13 pic.twitter.com/VLIGKSTqgt
— Mary O'Connell (@MaryWVTM13) February 16, 2019
Police said another male employee was injured and treated for gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening.
The five officers wounded in the shooting are all recovering, police said.
Though authorities are still searching for a motive, they said 45-year-old Martin had lost his job at the company the same day he opened fire. Martin had six prior arrests but was able to obtain a gun in 2014. His application for a concealed carry permit was denied when his felony charges, including domestic violence, were discovered.
A GoFundMe has been set up by the city of Aurora to support the families of those who died.
Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.