'We've Got A Gunman': Police Release 911 Calls From Aurora Mass Shooting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Aurora police have released a handful of 911 calls made from the Henry Pratt Company warehouse 10 days ago, after a disgruntled employee opened fire, killing five co-workers, and wounding one other. The shooter also shot several police officers who responded to the rampage, before he was killed by police.
"We've got a gunman," one caller said as he hid inside the warehouse.
In all three 911 calls released by police, the callers identified the gunman, Gary Martin, by name. Two of them provided police with a description as SWAT teams rushed to the building. One man described Martin as a bald African-American man in his 40s, with a white goatee, wearing a navy blue hat, navy blue hoodie and jeans.
At least two callers told police that Martin started shooting people near a loading dock after being told he was fired.
One of the calls with an employee hiding from Martin lasted more than six minutes, as an emergency dispatcher told the caller not to move and that police were on the scene.
"I'm hiding in a completely separate room right now," the caller said. "I can't even see or hear anything. I'm not taking any chances here,"
The dispatcher also told that caller, if he saw any other employees to tell them not to move, because police had not caught or stopped the gunman yet.
"I have officers there, it is not secure," the 911 operator said. "This guy is not in custody. Nobody moves any further, do not give him a target. Nobody moves."
That call ended shortly after the caller told 911 he heard more gunshots, although it's unclear from the recordings if that was Martin shooting at police, or police shooting Martin.
Police also released more than an hour of emergency dispatch recordings, detailing how police responded to the attack and rescued survivors.
The release of 911 tapes and emergency dispatch recordings from the shooting comes on the same day the Henry Pratt warehouse reopened. A growing memorial still sits outside the plant, 10 days after the deadly shooting. Wooden crosses have been placed outside the Henry Platt manufacturing plant, bearing the names of the five employees who were slain:
- Human resources manager Clayton Parks, 32 of Elgin;
- Human resources intern and Northern Illinois University student Trevor Wehner, 21, of Dekalb;
- Hold operator Russell Beyer, 47, of Yorkville;
- Stock room attendant and fork lift operator Vicente Juarez, 54, of Oswego;
- and Plant manager Josh Pinkard, 37, of Oswego.
Comfort dogs and their handlers were on hand Monday, to help employees cope with the loss of their colleagues.
The building was open to employees last week, so workers could gather and support each other, but the plant was not operating.
A normal production schedule is expected to resume Monday.
