By Cameron McWhirter and Laura Stevens
KENNESAW, Ga.--Police have identified the alleged shooter at a
FedEx Corp. sorting facility Tuesday as Geddy L. Kramer of Acworth,
Ga.
Mr. Kramer, a 19-year-old FedEx employee, allegedly injured six
people and left one of them in critical condition in the incident
that began at 5:54 a.m., according to police. The victims, whose
ages ranged from 19 to 52, were taken to a nearby hospital for
treatment, according to a spokeswoman for the WellStar Kennestone
Hospital in Marietta, Ga. Police found the alleged gunman dead from
an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, with a shotgun near his
body. Police also said they found "incendiary devices," but didn't
give further details.
The motive of the alleged shooter, who police identified as a
package handler at the Kennesaw FedEx Ground facility, wasn't
known. The attack started after Mr. Kramer allegedly drove a maroon
Honda up to the facility's security checkpoint, where he shot a
security guard, police said. After that, he continued inside the
building and shot another five individuals. He then committed
suicide inside a trailer that was docked onto the warehouse,
according to the police report. Employee witnesses described the
gunman as white and of average build who was wearing all black,
carrying a shotgun, and wearing an ammunition belt across his
chest.
The alleged shooter's father, Scott Kramer, released a statement
through the Acworth Police Department offering condolences to the
victims. Reached Tuesday evening by telephone, he said he had no
further comment.
FedEx and other package companies typically have package sorters
and drivers enter work through security checkpoints each morning,
including a metal-detector scan.
FedEx said in a statement that "the situation is now stabilized
and we are focused on the needs of our team members and cooperating
with the law-enforcement investigation of this tragedy."
Jaelen Miller was working his normal early morning shift
pre-loading packages at the facility when he saw the gunman enter
the other end of the building with a shotgun raised. "I said, 'Oh
snap, alright I need to start running.' And I start telling
everyone to run, 'You've got to run out of here.' And everybody
ran," Mr. Miller said.
He saw the gunman fire at people in the front area, then walk up
to fire down on people in the area of "Belt One," a conveyor belt
where packages are unloaded.
"He was just up there firing away," said Mr. Miller, 20 years
old. One of his friends, a woman, was shot in the leg, he said, and
he helped her outside to an ambulance, he said. Later, he went
around to the front area and saw the security guard at the entrance
being covered in blankets, he said.
Collin Harrison, a 22-year-old package handler, was loading a
truck when the gunman entered the building. He said he heard a man
and then a woman scream loudly. "I heard over one of my manager's
walkie talkies, 'Everybody get out of the building,'" he said.
"So I looked at my manager," Mr. Harrison said. "He was pointing
to the door, so I walked kind of briskly over toward the door
because I don't know what's going on. And I look over my shoulder
and that's when I see him," Mr. Harrison said, raising his hands as
if pointing a gun.
Write to Cameron McWhirter at cameron.mcwhirter@wsj.com and
Laura Stevens at laura.stevens@wsj.com
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