Last updated on February 18, 2019
A man is in custody after a shooting that injured multiple people in an industrial complex in west suburban Aurora, officials said Friday.
ON FRIDAY:
BREAKING: At least 5 people have been killed in this tragic incident according to Aurora Chief of Police Kristen Ziman. She also confirmed the speculated reports of the gunman being dead.
Aurora city spokesman Clayton Muhammad told WLS that the suspect had been “neutralized” at the time the story broke. Hospitals also reported treating at least seven patients from the shooting.
Live TV video feeds from WBBM, WLS, and WGN concurrently displayed more than 25 first responder vehicles outside a building housing the Henry Pratt Steel Distribution Company in Aurora.
The suspected shooter has been killed in a short shootout from an industrial area near Prairie and Highland avenues, according to preliminary reports from the scene. These reports were later confirmed by The Aurora Police Department.
The shooters name has been confirmed to be Gary Martin, which The Sun Times recently reported to be laid off from the steel distribution company. Mr. Martin’s mother added that he knew the layoff was coming and he increasingly became more “stressed out”.
The incident occurred at 641 Archer Ave.
What Aurora is saying:
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker along with Aurora Mayor and Police Chief briefed the press and the American people on the recent shooting just hours after it occurred. Another press conference occurred later that evening at 21:00 where authorities re-iterated their original reports and took questions from various members of the press.
“There is an active shooter near Highland and Archer,” the city tweeted. “Aurora Police are on the scene.” As of now, we know The FBI, ATF, and United States Marshall were among the many first responding agencies on the scene.
The shooter was taken into custody swiftly. The first call was made at 13:24 and police were on the scene at 13:28
Most recently, Aurora police tweeted:
EMERGENCY UPDATE | 3 p.m.
— City of Aurora, IL (@CityofAuroraIL) February 15, 2019
THE SHOOTER HAS BEEN APPREHENDED! The area is still on lock down!
More information will be provided soon.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker along with Aurora Mayor and Police Chief brief the press and the American people on the recent shooting. Another press conference is scheduled for 21:00 CST. We’ll have full coverage on the website. Stay tuned.
How others are reacting:
At 15:11
President Donald Trump said this in a tweet
Great job by law enforcement in Aurora, Illinois. Heartfelt condolences to all of the victims and their families. America is with you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2019
At 13:22
My heart breaks for Aurora. I’m tracking updates on the situation with my staff. Thank you to the members of law enforcement who are responding to the emergency.
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) February 15, 2019
At 15:45
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders just directed a statement to the press confirming President Trump has been briefed on the Aurora, Illinois, shooting.
“The President has been briefed and is monitoring the ongoing situation in Aurora, IL,” she said.
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This is a breaking story with updates to follow. Check back later to learn about any new developments.
FI: WTVA
Jay Doherty
2019
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