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Workplace shooting in Pennsylvania kills 2 in Chester, mayor urges to address gun crisis

Workplace shooting in Pennsylvania kills 2 in Chester, mayor urges to address gun crisis

Chester, Pennsylvania

Delaware County authorities said that a disgruntled employee opened fire at a linen company in Chester, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, killing two coworkers and injuring three others. Police said one was in critical condition,NBC Philadelphia reported.

During a morning news conference, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said, "This is a story that plays out too often across the United States of America." Stollsteimer called the shooting "an absolute tragedy."

"A disgruntled employee has walked into a linen shop -- the Delaware County Linen shop behind us -- and shot five people, five co-workers," he added.

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The shooting occurred around 8:30 am (local time) at the Delaware County Linen in Chester, some 18 miles (29 km) south of Philadelphia.

The shooter fled in a car but was apprehended at a traffic check, Stollsteimer said.

The shooter's name has not been disclosed, and the exact motive is unknown. Local reports mentioned earlier that he was a former employee.

Chester Mayor Stefan Roots said, "It speaks to guns in America."

The mayor also said that his small city has enjoyed a period of relative calm in recent years, with violent crime on the decline.

"Violence is always unpredictable. We don't know what conditions people are under, in a city that's impoverished like ours," Roots said.

"We can't have guns in the hands of the wrong people. There had to be some type of mental health issue that would have an employee walk into his workplace on a day of work and take out his anger in such a violent way — to not just the boss, but his coworkers, who he probably worked side-by-side with for years,"Roots added as he called on state lawmakers in Pennsylvania to address the gun crisis.

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