5 confirmed dead in Illinois factory shooting

The gunman at the Illinois manufacturing business where five employees were killed and five police officers were wounded was being let go by the company, Aurora Chief of Police Kristen Ziman told reporters Friday night.

The assailant, identified as Gary Martin, 45, had worked at the Henry Pratt Company for 15 years before Friday’s violence unfolded at the firm’s sprawling facility in Aurora, 40 miles (65 km) west of Chicago, Ziman said.

The shooter used a Smith & Wesson handgun, the chief said. He was killed after police found him attempting to hide and he fired on officers. The chaos at the workplace lasted 90 minutes, Ziman said.

Five Aurora police officers and one employee suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Ziman said.

The first 911 calls came to Aurora police around 1:24 p.m. CT, with callers saying there was an active shooter at the Henry Pratt Company, which says it is one of the United States' largest manufacturers of industrial valves.

A slew of law enforcement officers raced to the scene and a team of four approached the building, which is in a small industrial area.

There was gunfire immediately, and one officer was hit, Ziman said. Four other officers were shot just inside the building during the first five minutes of the response.

The gunman went farther into the 29,000-square-foot warehouse, and teams of officers went to look for him. The shooter was killed by officers, the chief said. A sixth officer hurt his knee and needed to go to a hospital.

Four patients went to hospitals in Aurora, medical officials said. The chief said two wounded police officers were taken by air to trauma centers in Chicago, about 40 miles to the east.

“Mueller Water Products is shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific tragedy that occurred today at our Henry Pratt facility,” Mueller said in a message on Twitter.

“Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, the first responders, the Aurora community and the entire Mueller family during this extremely difficult time,” the company said.

Ziman said a search warrant was obtained for Martin's residence. Mary McKnight, who

The bloodshed marked the latest spasm of gun violence in a nation where mass shootings have become almost commonplace. It came one day after the one-year anniversary of the massacre of 17 people by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.