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Victims Identified In Aurora Shooting; Gunman Had Prior Felony Conviction

AURORA, Ill. (WGN9) — Police have identified the five people gunned down by a co-worker when he was fired in Aurora on Friday. The shooting began about 1:25 p.m...
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AURORA, Ill. (WGN9) — Police have identified the five people gunned down by a co-worker when he was fired in Aurora on Friday.

The shooting began about 1:25 p.m. at Henry Pratt Company, a 29,000-square-foot manufacturing warehouse at 641 Archer Ave. in west suburban Aurora, according to Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman.

The alleged gunman, 45-year-old Gary Martin, was being fired at the time. He had a 1995 felony conviction in Mississippi for aggravated assault; he was not licensed to own or carry a gun. Police fatally shot Martin.

The deceased victims are:

  • Clayton Parks, of Elgin, Ill., a human resources manager
  • Trevor Wehner, of DeKalb, Ill., a human resources intern and student at Northern Illinois University
  • Russell Beyer, of Yorkville, Ill., a mold operator
  • Vicente Juarez, of Oswego, Ill., a stock room attendant and fork lift operator
  • Josh Pinkard, of Oswego, Ill., a plant manager.

A sixth employee, a man, was shot and wounded with non-life-threatening injuries. Five Aurora police officers were also shot and wounded in Friday’s attack; all are expected to survive.

Ziman said Martin, of Aurora, Ill., began shooting after he was fired inside a meeting room. Three of the deceased victims were shot in the room.

Additional details about Martin’s employment at Henry Pratt were not immediately available. The company is expected to host a news conference at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Ziman said Martin had six prior arrests with the Aurora Police Department, including domestic violence and traffic issues. His last arrest in Aurora was for violating an order of protection in 2008. His most recent arrest was in 2017 in Oswego, Ill., for disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.

Martin was convicted in Mississippi in 1995 for felony aggravated assault.

Ziman said the five Aurora police officers shot and wounded Friday are expected to survive. They were identified as:

  • a 39-year-old man with 13 years of service
  • a 52-year-old man with 25 years of service
  • a 52-year-old man with 24 years of service
  • a 53-year-old man with 30 years of service
  • and a 24-year-old man with just under four years of service.

A sixth officer, a 23-year-old man with two years on the job, was treated for a minor injury sustained during the incident, Ziman said. It was not related to gunfire.

The entire incident Friday lasted roughly 90 minutes. Police said Martin retreated into the building to hide after his initial exchange of gunfire with officers.

Vitalant blood centers are asking people to donate blood in coming days. Centers across the country shipped 70 “blood components” to the Chicago area Friday. Blood drives are scheduled for Saturday in Bolingbrook, and Monday in St. Charles. For more information, visit vitalant.org.

Kane County’s SWAT team, the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force, the ATF, the FBI and local police departments responded to the scene Friday. Schools were on soft lockdown.

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