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Five dead in Aurora mass shooting after gunman 'lost job'


By David Mercer, news reporter
Workers look out an office window following a shooting at the Henry Pratt Company

A gunman who killed five people and wounded several police officers at a warehouse near Chicago opened fire as he was being fired by the company, authorities say.

Police named the killer as 45-year-old Gary Martin, who had worked at the Henry Pratt manufacturing company in Aurora, Illinois for 15 years. He was shot dead by officers following his deadly rampage after police responded to reports of an "active shooter" at about 2pm local time on Friday (8pm GMT).

Aurora police chief Kristen Ziman said Martin was armed with a handgun but it was not yet clear whether he was carrying the weapon at the time he was being fired or whether he went to retrieve it before opening fire.

Five employees were killed at the Henry Pratt Company, which makes valves for industrial purposes. A sixth worker was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
 Police secure the area following a shooting at the Henry Pratt Company

Five police officers were wounded after being shot as they entered the building, while a sixth officer suffered a knee injury but was not hit by gunfire.

The officers who were shot are described as being in a stable condition in hospital.

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