What to Know
- Chester police say a shooting early Wednesday at a linen company in the Delaware County city killed two people and wounded three others.
- "A disgruntled employee has walked into a linen shop -- the Delaware County Linen shop behind us -- and shot five people, five co-workers," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said during a news conference near the scene.
- The suspected shooter was arrested by police from nearby Trainer, authorities said.
At least two workers were killed and three others were hurt in a workplace shooting at a family-owned linen business in Chester, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, Delaware County authorities said.
'Disgruntled' employee opens fire at Delaware County business
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer referred to the shooting as "an absolutely tragedy."
"This is a story that plays out too often across the United States of America," Stollsteimer said at a morning news conference. "A disgruntled employee has walked into a linen shop -- the Delaware County Linen shop behind us -- and shot five people, five co-workers."
Officers were dispatched to Delaware County Linen on West 4th Street -- near Hayes Street -- around 8:30 a.m., Delaware County dispatchers said. The family-owned company is a linen-rental and laundry services company that has been in business since 1988, according to its website. It mainly serves restaurants, country clubs, hotels and other businesses in Pennsylvania and some neighboring states.
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Stollsteimer said that at least five people -- including the gunman's supervisor -- were shot and two had died after showing up for work.
“People who are victims of this shooting today, they came to work to live the American dream," Stollsteimer said. "They came to work to work hard, play by the rules and to get ahead in their lives."
The shooting took place inside and outside the business and a handgun was used, investigators said. Francisco Kenty, a Chester resident, told NBC10 he fled to check on his family member when the shots were fired.
"I ran back inside. I was making sure my grandmother was alright," he said.
Kenty also said he saw one of the shooting victims.
"He was just laying on the ground," Kenty said. "He wasn't moving. Wasn't anything. He was just laying on the ground."
Chester officers rushed one of the shooting victims to the hospital.
Stollsteimer asked for people to pray for the three injured people at the hospital. A family member of one of the injured victims told NBC10 their loved one is expected to survive.
An employee who was inside the business at the time of the shooting told NBC10's Rosemary Connors the gunfire came as a surprise. Many people work early hours at the business.
Stollsteimer said that though the suspected shooter -- an "angry" worker -- had issues and confrontations with colleagues in the past, including on Tuesday and early Wednesday before the incident, there were no signs pointing to the shooting taking place.
"This is just a horrible tragedy that this whole community now is feeling," Stollsteimer said.
Police in nearby town arrested suspected shooter
The suspected shooter -- who works at the shop -- was taken into police custody, the DA said, while noting the threat no longer existed.
Police from nearby Trainer, Pennsylvania, stopped the shooter's car after a description of the suspect's vehicle was released, according to Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky.
"I want to commend Trainer Police Department because the actor did attempt to flee, which they did stop him and again, he is in custody," Gretsky said.
The large police presence continued in the area throughout the day. Officers with guns drawn could be seen opening doors to the business in the minutes after the shooting.
The suspect is currently being held at the Chester City Police Department headquarters. Charges are pending as the investigation continues.
Community and officials react to the tragedy
The shooting occurred amid a 68% decrease in homicides by guns over the past four years in Chester, according to the Delaware County District Attorney's Office.
"We will continue to do the work we do every single day to try to keep the community safe," Stollsteimer said. "Today is a tragedy. This could happen in any community across America and increasingly does happen in all kinds of communities across America."
City council members described Chester as a tightknit community and said they were heartbroken by the deadly shooting.
"We just like to remember that Chester is a great place," Adolphus Adams, a Chester resident, told NBC10. "Don't believe always the hype."
Chester Mayor Stefan Roots said Delaware County Linen was a fixture in the community for the past 30 years and had never had any issues prior to Wednesday's shooting.
"Chester, Pennsylvania, never expected to be the epicenter of another episode of workplace violence," Mayor Roots said. "You have to anticipate that their had to be some type of mental health issue that would have an employee walk into his workplace on a day of work and take out his anger in such a violent way."
Mayor Roots and city councilmembers told NBC10 the White House reached out to offer support and make them aware that they're following the situation. The Chester Community Coalition is also offering support and grief counseling for anyone impacted.
“We want the community to know that we’re here to support them," Chester Deputy Mayor Portia West said. "It is all of our problem when we have gun-related issues affecting our community."
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