(Reuters) - A gunman opened fire on the Federal Building in Wheeling, West Virginia, on Wednesday, and the shooter has since died, police and news reports said.
The gunman fired more than 20 shots into the building in downtown Wheeling, the Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register website said.
Sergeant M.T. Baylous, a spokesman for the West Virginia State Police, confirmed there had been a gunman at the Federal Building.
"He is now deceased. The investigation is ongoing," he said, adding that there had been no other life-threatening injuries.
Baylous gave no details on how the man died.
The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register website said a security guard was slightly injured.
The website quoted a witness as saying the man fired at the Federal Building with an assault rifle before reloading and firing at a nearby YWCA building. There was no word on a motive for the shooting.
WV MetroNews cited U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia William Ihlenfeld as saying the shooter was a former Wheeling police officer, although that could not be independently confirmed.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Cynthia Johnston Editing by Andre Grenon)
Well maybe.... but then again remember the woman in Washington... you know, the one who, without a dent on the front of her car tried to ram her car through white house barriers and fired several shots wounding on policeman.... you know the one that was later found to have no firearm.... only a one year old child...
ReplyDeleteOh yea..... a just released AP poll put the presidents approval rating at 37%.... Bush was crucified when the polls reached those numbers... don't hear much about that fact in the news.... Heck, even the AP article that released those numbers titled the article: "Poll: No Heroes In Shutdown, GOP Gets Most Blame"
Well maybe? This from USA Today:
DeleteA retired city police officer fired more than 20 rounds into the federal courthouse building in Wheeling, W.Va., before being shot dead Wednesday afternoon.
A Wheeling police officer and a U.S. court security officer killed the gunman after he opened fire with an assault rifle at 2:45 p.m., Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said at an evening news conference. He would not confirm the shooter's identity, saying only that he had retired from the department in 2000.
Wheeling Mayor Andy McKenzie said police officials told him the gunman had worked on the force for more than 20 years.
U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld, who works in the federal building, identified the dead officer as Thomas Piccard, The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register reported. WV MetroNews also said multiple sources had identified Piccard.
Two federal court security guards were treated for cuts from shattered glass when the gunman opened fire.
Schwertfeger said the motive was still unknown.
City resident Carla Webb Daniels said she saw the gunman fire from the Chase Bank parking lot across from the building, then reload and fire at a nearby YWCA. She said he fired between 25 and 30 rounds.
The federal building houses the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, along with regional offices of the Social Security Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the General Services Administration.
Funny Mick you get no real response. Conservatives won't discuss when those we should trust with firearms (ex police officer) shoot up the place with their sacred assault rifles. Not surprising. Not surprising at all.
DeleteWhat do you want me to say rick... we should disarm half the police force? I'll agree to that..... Perhaps he, like most of the rest of the people who do this sort of thing are on anti-psychotics... No, actually it was suicide by cop. He waved people away before he started shooting and aimed his weapon at no one.... a neighbour said he was dying of stomach cancer which has not been confirmed or denied by officials.
DeleteBingo! Suicide by cop is the correct answer.
DeleteYou know why this is so bad though Mick, Being former law enforcement, he knew that just banishing a firearm and popping off a few rounds, he knew he would die.... he knew that their was no chance he would be shot in the shoulder or in his legs.... He knew that the one sure way to die was to poke the hornets nest.
DeleteI'm disappointed that no one has investigated the federal buildings feelings in this matter.
ReplyDelete