Omar S. Thorton, 34 an employee of Hartford Distributors located in Manchester Connecticut arrived at work at seven am on a Tuesday morning for a scheduled disciplinary meeting. Mr. Thorton had been recently observed on the companies surveillance cameras stealing beer.
Mr. Thorton had only been employed with the family owned company for approximately two years. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Thorton was provided with a choice, quit or be fired. As a result, Mr. Thorton drew a hand gun and began shooting fellow employees throughout the building. Mr. Thorton moved throughout the building shooting fellow drivers, company executives, and the union president that had represented him during his hearing.
As law enforcement arrived and began …show more content…
Thorton had fatally shot eight people and wounded two more on that Tuesday morning. The questions in case are ones always asked, who could commit such an act of violence, and why. In this specific incident, law enforcement stated they were looking into possible work place harassment due to Mr. Thorton’s race.
Events leading up to that volatile day included a statement made by Mr. Thorton’s girlfriend’s mother, Joanna Hannah. According to Ms. Hannah, her daughter had observed pictures shared by Mr. Thorton of racial insults drawn on the bathroom wall along with a picture of a stick figure hanging by a noose. Ms. Hannah also mentioned a phone call placed to her daughter by Mr. Thorton. The call was placed by Mr. Thorton while he was in one of the distributors rest rooms. Also in the rest room was Mr. Thorton’s supervisor and another employee, both speaking negatively about blacks.
It was believe that Mr. Thorton felt he was being “pushed to the edge” according to a statement made by one of his cousins. Prior to taking his own life, Mr. thorton place a call to his mother. According to Ms. Hannah, during the phone call, Mr. Thorton said good bye to his mother and for her to tell everyone that he loved them. He also told her that he had killed five
Mr. Thorton had only been employed with the family owned company for approximately two years. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Thorton was provided with a choice, quit or be fired. As a result, Mr. Thorton drew a hand gun and began shooting fellow employees throughout the building. Mr. Thorton moved throughout the building shooting fellow drivers, company executives, and the union president that had represented him during his hearing.
As law enforcement arrived and began …show more content…
Thorton had fatally shot eight people and wounded two more on that Tuesday morning. The questions in case are ones always asked, who could commit such an act of violence, and why. In this specific incident, law enforcement stated they were looking into possible work place harassment due to Mr. Thorton’s race.
Events leading up to that volatile day included a statement made by Mr. Thorton’s girlfriend’s mother, Joanna Hannah. According to Ms. Hannah, her daughter had observed pictures shared by Mr. Thorton of racial insults drawn on the bathroom wall along with a picture of a stick figure hanging by a noose. Ms. Hannah also mentioned a phone call placed to her daughter by Mr. Thorton. The call was placed by Mr. Thorton while he was in one of the distributors rest rooms. Also in the rest room was Mr. Thorton’s supervisor and another employee, both speaking negatively about blacks.
It was believe that Mr. Thorton felt he was being “pushed to the edge” according to a statement made by one of his cousins. Prior to taking his own life, Mr. thorton place a call to his mother. According to Ms. Hannah, during the phone call, Mr. Thorton said good bye to his mother and for her to tell everyone that he loved them. He also told her that he had killed five