UPDATE 2 (6:00 p.m. CST):
Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said during a press conference Feb. 15 that five officers were struck by gunfire and that five civilian victims are deceased. The shooter is also dead at the scene. The officers struck by gunfire are injured but alive.
Ziman identified the shooter as Gary Martin, a 45-year-old man, who police believe worked at the company.
The Aurora police department received the call about shots fired at 1:24 p.m. and responded to the call by 1:28 p.m. Ziman said officers were fired upon immediately and that two of the four officers who entered the building were shot.
Aurora police will hold another briefing at 9 p.m. CST. WWD will update more at that time when more details will be revealed.
UPDATE 1 (DEVELOPING):
An active shooter reported in Aurora is dead, law enforcement sources said, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Aurora police have apprehended a suspect who is believed to have opened fire inside the Henry Pratt Company building. According to CBS Chicago, two sources said they believe multiple officers and civilians have been wounded.
According to ABC 6, John Probst, a Henry Pratt employee who escaped the building, said he saw a man holding a pistol with a laser scope. Probst told ABC 6 that he recognized the shooter as a coworker. Officials have not yet released information about the shooter's identity.
According to the Chicago Tribune, four police officers were injured while respond to the scene.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW:
In Aurora, Ill., police are responding to the Henry Pratt Company for a report of an active shooter situation.
According to NBC Chicago, police could only say command staff were at the site. It remained unclear if there were any injuries. The city has sent out an alert of “an active shooter near Highland and Archer.”
The valve manufacturing company is located at 401 S. Highland Ave. near Prairie Street, according to its website. Henry Pratt products are part of Mueller Water Products, Inc.
Nearby, the Holy Angels Catholic School said it was on lockdown amid the report.
According to Board President Bob Gonzalez, the West Aurora School District 129 said all students were being held in place "for their safety" after "reports of an active shooter at the Henry Pratt building." All 18 schools in the district were on lockdown, Gonzalez said.
"Per directions from the county sheriff, the District has been advised to go into soft lockdown situation across the district. Teaching will continue with reduced movement. Normal operations will resume when the soft lockdown has been lifted. No one will be allowed to leave or enter our buildings until the lockdown has been lifted," the district wrote on Facebook, according to NBC Chicago.
Illinois State Police District 5 said it was sending troopers to the scene.
Diana Muniz, an employee at Taqueria Muniz, said a customer reported hearing numerous shots in the area.
“The customer said they heard one shot fired, then more shots like ‘boom, boom, boom,'" Muniz said to NBC Chicago.
This is a developing story. We will have more updates when available.
