“It is a horrible, horrible day,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett after a reported deadly mass shooting.
An employee of Molson Coors reportedly killed five people at the Miller Valley complex in Milwaukee, then apparently took his own life in the first mass murder in metropolitan Milwaukee since 2012.
“Officers located the suspect, a 51-year-old Milwaukee man, deceased from an apparent self-infliced shotgun wound. We have located five additional deceased adult victims. The victims all work at Molson Coors,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales.
No other individuals were found injured.
Full coverage links:
– How to talk to your kids about tragedies like the Molson Coors shootings
– Multiple people dead including suspect at Molson Coors
– Photo gallery
– Audio: Dispatch call
– Wisconsin Congress members comment about Molson Coors incident on social media
– Presidential candidates chime in about Molson Coors mass shooting
“This is a tragic day for our city…for our state,” said Mayor Tom Barrett.
“Six families are grieving, and will be grieving because of this horrific act of this individual. This is a time for us to think about those families. There are five individuals who went to work today…and they thought they were going to go to work, finish their day and return to their families. They didn’t and tragically, they never will.”
“The hearts of the people of Wisconsin go out to the folks that were needlessly murdered at Molson Coors this afternoon. The First Lady and I will be praying,” added Governor Evers on scene at a news conference in Miller Valley.
“It is in our backyard. This is the 11th mass shooting in our state since 2004,” said Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes.
“We shouldn’t accept this. This is not the way things should be…especially right here at home. We need to act, be more responsive as a city, as a state, as a nation.”
As of about 5:30 p.m., numerous people believed to be Molson Coors employees were seen walking down Highland Avenue, apparently departing their workplace after this day of tragedy.
A family staging area had been set up for families of employees:
Update regarding the critical incident that occurred on the 4100 block of West State Street.
— Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) February 26, 2020
The family staging area for the employees of Molson Coors will be in the Harley Davidson Parking Lot at 35th Juneau Ave.
The Molson Coors complex was placed on lockdown. Employees were notified by text message and e-mail about the incident.
There is an active situation at our Milwaukee facility and we are working closely with the Milwaukee Police Department. Our top priority is our employees and we’ll provide updates in conjunction with the police as we are able.
— Molson Coors Beverage Company (@MolsonCoors) February 26, 2020
More than a dozen police cars were located on State Street outside of part of Miller Valley as of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, among at least 100 police vehicles according to reporters on scene. A tactical vehicle was being seen headed into the area at a high rate of speed on Highland Boulevard.
Armed officers were seen running west on State Street.
As of 3:15 p.m., numerous officers were found on the roof of one of the Miller Valley buildings.
Numerous paramedics were being seen leaving the area at about 2:45 p.m.
FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and Marquette University Police were also on scene.
A large, multi-block perimeter was being set up in the area. Ramps from Highway 175 to State Street were closed.
Harley-Davidson, which borders the Molson Coors complex, plus the Wisconsin Humane Society and Marquette University High School, a few blocks from the scene, had been among the locations on lockdown.
As of 4:05 p.m., Harley-Davidson’s lockdown had been lifted.
Numerous executives were in Houston for a distributor conference, but have headed back to Milwaukee.
Countless loved ones spent Wednesday in worry after the incident.
I’ve been waiting for a text back from my friend who works at MillerCoors for 46 minutes but it feels like hours. I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s going through. Praying he’s okay. My heart is with those shot and their families. Hug your loved ones, people. Say I ❤️ you.
— Faith (@leighharmony) February 26, 2020
At 9:30, an update was provided by Barrett, Morales, and Molson Coors President and CEO Gavin Hattersley.
The latest information from this press conference included; the shooter was an active employee with Molson Coors, the brewery and its buildings were all cleared with all employees able to leave, and all family members of those killed have been identified. Morales says they will not release the victim’s names until all family members have arrived in Milwaukee, which could be in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Check back for more details on this breaking story as details come in to us.
