Hartford Distributors shooting
Encyclopedia
The Hartford Distributors shooting was a mass shooting that occurred on August 3, 2010, in Manchester, Connecticut
, United States
. The location of the crime was a warehouse owned by Hartford Distributors, a beer distribution company. The gunman, former employee Omar Thornton, shot and killed eight people before turning a gun on himself.
beer
products and wine
. Given the options of being fired or resigning, Thornton signed the resignation papers and was being escorted out of the building. Instead of leaving, he took two Ruger SR9
s from his lunchbox and opened fire.
At the time Thornton started shooting, there were around 40 employees in the building. In just a few minutes, Thornton murdered eight coworkers, and seriously injured two others. Many employees made calls to 911
, with some callers identifying Thornton. Police arrived on the scene just three minutes after the first 911 call. Police entered the building 10 minutes after the first 911 call. Thornton hid in a locked office. As more police entered the building, Thornton called his mother and explained to her what he had done. He told her he planned on turning the gun on himself. As police closed in, Thornton called 911, saying his motive for the massacre was racism he had experienced in the workplace. He told the 911 operator that he wished he had killed more people. Soon after hanging up on 911, he killed himself with a shot to the head.
in a facility that had mostly white employees. Company and union officials as well as workers at the facility have denied the murderer's charges of racism. The union notes that he never filed a complaint with the union or any government agency. Forensic psychiatrist Keith Ablow
stated, "I’ve evaluated plenty of murderers during my career... and I can tell you that people don’t commit atrocities because of name-calling." A police probe did not find proof of racism at Hartford Distributors, with other minority workers at Hartford Distributors interviewed by the police disagreeing with Thornton's allegation that the company was "a racist place".
The massacre is the deadliest workplace shooting in Connecticut history. Connecticut suffered a similar workplace shooting at the Lottery Headquarters in Newington
on March 6, 1998, which left five dead including the shooter.
Christy Quail and Sean Quail were arrested for receiving the property alleged to have been stolen by Thornton. Sean Quail was arrested on August 17 in an incident where he sprayed bug-repellent at reporters covering the case. Quail was charged with three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, three counts of third-degree assault, carrying a dangerous instrument, and breach of peace.
Manchester, Connecticut
Manchester is a township and city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 58,241.- History :...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The location of the crime was a warehouse owned by Hartford Distributors, a beer distribution company. The gunman, former employee Omar Thornton, shot and killed eight people before turning a gun on himself.
The shooting
Thornton, a 34-year-old black man, was called into his place of employment for disciplinary purposes. Thornton had been recorded on surveillance video in the Hartford Distributors warehouse stealing beer on a previous occasion. Hartford Distributors is a wholesale distributor of BudweiserBudweiser
Budweiser is a German adjective describing something or someone from the city of České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia, Czech Republic.Beer brewing in České Budějovice dates back to the 13th century...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
products and wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
. Given the options of being fired or resigning, Thornton signed the resignation papers and was being escorted out of the building. Instead of leaving, he took two Ruger SR9
Ruger SR9
The Ruger SR series are a line of semi-automatic pistols manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Company. At thick through the grip, it is touted by Ruger as one of the thinnest double-stack pistols available. The SR series has been marketed as a backup/concealment weapon for law enforcement as well as for...
s from his lunchbox and opened fire.
At the time Thornton started shooting, there were around 40 employees in the building. In just a few minutes, Thornton murdered eight coworkers, and seriously injured two others. Many employees made calls to 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
, with some callers identifying Thornton. Police arrived on the scene just three minutes after the first 911 call. Police entered the building 10 minutes after the first 911 call. Thornton hid in a locked office. As more police entered the building, Thornton called his mother and explained to her what he had done. He told her he planned on turning the gun on himself. As police closed in, Thornton called 911, saying his motive for the massacre was racism he had experienced in the workplace. He told the 911 operator that he wished he had killed more people. Soon after hanging up on 911, he killed himself with a shot to the head.
Aftermath
Family members of Thornton have stated that he had complained to them that he was being racially discriminated against at his job. Thornton's girlfriend claimed that he had seen a picture of a noose and a racial epithet written on a bathroom wall. Thornton was African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
in a facility that had mostly white employees. Company and union officials as well as workers at the facility have denied the murderer's charges of racism. The union notes that he never filed a complaint with the union or any government agency. Forensic psychiatrist Keith Ablow
Keith Ablow
Keith Russell Ablow is an American psychiatrist, New York Times best-selling author, and television personality who now serves as a Fox News contributor on psychiatry, while maintaining private practices in Newburyport, Massachusetts and Manhattan, New York.-Early life and training:Ablow was born...
stated, "I’ve evaluated plenty of murderers during my career... and I can tell you that people don’t commit atrocities because of name-calling." A police probe did not find proof of racism at Hartford Distributors, with other minority workers at Hartford Distributors interviewed by the police disagreeing with Thornton's allegation that the company was "a racist place".
The massacre is the deadliest workplace shooting in Connecticut history. Connecticut suffered a similar workplace shooting at the Lottery Headquarters in Newington
Newington, Connecticut
Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 29,306. The Connecticut Department of Transportation has its headquarters in Newington....
on March 6, 1998, which left five dead including the shooter.
Christy Quail and Sean Quail were arrested for receiving the property alleged to have been stolen by Thornton. Sean Quail was arrested on August 17 in an incident where he sprayed bug-repellent at reporters covering the case. Quail was charged with three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, three counts of third-degree assault, carrying a dangerous instrument, and breach of peace.