Gunman who executed two co-workers before killing himself at California factory went on 'methodical killing spree'

Salvador Diaz, 32, killed during attack at meat-processing plant in Fresno

Manuel Verdin, 34, died in hospital after being fatally wounded



Lawrence Jones, 42, discovered in the street with gunshot wound to head and later died in hospital



Jones, who was on parole, had worked at plant for 14 months



A parolee who killed two people and wounded two others on Tuesday at a California chicken processing plant where he worked moved methodically between his first three victims, putting a handgun against their head or neck before pulling the trigger, police said.

Lawrence Jones, 42, shot 32-year-old Fatima Lopez in the back as she tried to flee then put the gun to the head of Estevan Catano and pulled the trigger but was out of bullets, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said.

Jones, 42, then went outside the Valley Protein plant, where he reloaded his gun, shot himself and died later at a hospital after being found alive outside the factory shortly after 8am, the chief said.

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Attack: Lawrence Jones, 42, killed two colleagues and wounded two others at meat processing plant in Fresno, California before killing himself

‘He had opportunity to shoot other co-workers that were in the business at this time, but he chose not to,’ Dyer said. ‘He walked around them in order to get very close to the intended targets, place the gun very close and fire a round.’

Salvador Diaz, 32, was pronounced dead at the scene, and Manuel Verdin, 34, died later at a hospital, both from wounds to the head.



Arnulfo Conrriguez, 28, was critically injured after being struck in the throat, and Lopez was expected to be released later from a hospital after being struck in the buttocks, Dyer said.

Several men tried to stop Jones, but he pointed his gun at their heads, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Police said they found 24 rounds of .357 caliber ammunition — the type used in the shooting — and 21 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition at Jones' apartment.

About 30 employees witnessed the shooting, and there were a total of about 65 people at work when the gunfire started, police said.

The victims inside the plant did not hear the shooter because it was loud and at least some of them wore noise protectors, Dyer said.

Jones reportedly arrived for work at 5am before he began shooting with a handgun three hours later, close to the cold storage area in the Valley Protein factory.



Distraught: A woman on the phone after a shooting at a meat-processing plant in California on Tuesday where two people and the gunman died

Shock: Factory workers embrace outside the plant where a colleague opened fire during a shift this morning in Fresno, California

Rampage: A gunman shot dead two co-workers at a chicken plant in Fresno, California this morning and injured two others before walking outside and shooting himself

Police received calls from terrified employees at the site around 8.27am, Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. Officers who arrived on the scene found Jones in the street with a gunshot wound to the head, according to Fox News .

The suspect, who was on parole, had worked at the plant for 14 months, according to colleagues.



Jones had an extensive criminal history going as far back as 1991, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for robbery and burglary, police told the New York Times .



It was unclear what had provoked the shooting but one worker told police that the suspect was acting strangely when he arrived for work.



‘There was something that must have provoked this incident, perhaps that occurred today, or maybe was building up to today,’ Dyer said soon after the attack.

Valley Protein, formerly known as Apple Valley Farms Inc, is a food service equipment company that opened in 2005 and processes poultry.

A call to the company went to a voicemail recording that said: 'Due to an emergency we are closed for the day.'