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Fired warehouse worker kills six in shooting spree

A man who had been fired from an auto parts warehouse six months ago returned with a gun on Wednesday and killed six employees in a rampage through a maze of engine blocks before being shot to death by police.

Salvador Tapia died in a gun battle he waged with police inside and outside the building, hiding behind a container as he fired off rounds from his semiautomatic pistol, authorities said.

Acting Police Superintendent Phil Cline said a police officer shot Tapia when the gunman refused an order to drop his gun.

"We saw a guy shooting at police officers outside the building and saw people running around like crazy," said Al Martinez, who owns a business half a block away. "We came and saw all the cops running, hiding behind cars."

Tapia, 36, lost his job at Windy City Core Supply about six months ago for causing trouble at work and frequently showing up late or not at all, Cline said.

Cline said when police arrived shortly after 8:30am, they tried to get in the building but were driven back by gunfire, and when an assault team entered the building they had trouble maneuvering through all the auto parts.

He said four people died at the scene. Tapia and two others were taken to hospitals and died there.

"From the scene it appears that he went throughout the supply warehouse shooting them," Cline said. "They weren't all in one section."

All buildings within a block of the auto parts and supply store were evacuated.
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