Shooting at Valley Printing Plant
A disgruntled former employee slipped into a Visalia printing plant this morning, shot a worker to death and set several fires before taking his own life.
Police did not identify the dead male employee or the suspect. Print-Xcel General Manager Jeff Trump said 46 employees were working in the sprawling plant when the incident was reported to police at 7:44 a.m.
About two hours later — a SWAT team entered the building, outfitted with oxygen tanks because of thick smoke. Police Sergeant Michelle Figueroa says officers found the suspect´s body lying across the threshold of an outside door.
She also said they found a revolver and a semi-automatic pistol on the ground nearby.
Figueroa said police believe the intruder fired at least half a dozen shots. There´s no word yet on a motive but the company´s general manager tells the Visalia Times-Delta that man was a former employee who had been fired several years ago. Police said rolls of paper had been set ablaze. The company south of Fresno prints payroll checks and mailers.
