The Kansas man thought to have killed three people and injured 14 at the factory where he worked recently posted pictures of himself on social media with firearms, despite his criminal record.
Cedric Ford was identified by local news as the shooter who first began the violence shooting out of a car, stole another person’s vehicle and later headed to the Excel Industries plant in Hesston on Thursday.
Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said that the suspected shooter, who he did not identify, had been shot dead by police in a firefight at the factory around 5:23 p.m.
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Witnesses said that the 38-year-old worked at the lawnmower manufacturing and began shooting his co-workers with what appeared to be an AK-47, a type of gun that also made an appearance on his Facebook page ten days ago.
The tattooed suspect’s social media shows a mixture of family pictures of trips to the zoo and videos where he sings and dances along to hip-hop music or spraying bullets into an empty field.
A handgun is also seen in some photos, including one where the pistol and a bottle of gin are sitting in what appears to be Ford’s car.
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Ford had a long criminal history, including burglary, grand theft, prowling and fleeing from police, according to KWCH.
It is unknown how he acquired his weapons.
THREE PEOPLE KILLED IN SHOOTING AT KANSAS COMPANY AND 14 INJURED; GUNMAN SHOT DEAD
A worker at the plant, Martin Espinoza, told KAKE that Ford pointed a gun at him and fired, but the weapon was empty and he ran away as the shooter got another firearm.
Sheriff Walton said that the three people killed at the plant, where around 150 were present, did not appear to be targeted.
Another co-worker at the plant, where he reportedly worked on the painting line, said that the Florida native was nice guy and that those who knew him were shocked that he could have been capable of such violence.
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Posted by Cedric Ford on Sunday, September 20, 2015
Ford’s relationship to his work seems to have be less than perfect, however.
In January the employee tagged Excel Industries in a post and said “Man F— !!!!!!!!!!!!”
He also posted recently about being “fed up.”
Walton said that something is believed to have triggered the mass shooting, but did not elaborate.
