Scott Hall, Mueller Water Products CEO and president, spoke to the press Saturday regarding the shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora, Ill. on Feb. 15. and scheduled meetings with the victims families Saturday and Sunday.
“Friday was basically the worst day our company has ever had,” Hall said. “Tremendous emotional event not just at this one facility in Aurora, but reverberating through our entire manufacturing footprint. We are hurting right now. The families of Russ, Clay, Josh, Vincente and Trevor are also grieving right now.”
A GoFundMe page started by Aurora, Ill., is raising money for the victims of the families. The money will be placed into the Aurora Strong Community Fund. The GoFundMe has exceeded its goal of $50,000, and at the time of this article's posting, it has raised nearly $69,000.
Mueller Water Products sent a letter to all its employees Saturday and made that letter public during the conference. The letter letter emphasized the health and well-being of all employees, their colleagues and the victims' families. It also included information on each of the victims.
- Josh Pinkard joined Mueller 13 years ago in the Albertville, Ala., facility and relocated to Aurora in the spring of 2018 to lead the team as plant manager.
- Russ Beyer was an employee of Henry Pratt for more than 20 years, during which time he held most of the different jobs in the plant. He served as union chairman.
- Vincente Juarez joined Henry Pratt in 2006. He was a member of the shipping and warehouse team in Aurora, and held several other jobs previously in the warehouse.
- Clay Parks, joined the Henry Pratt team in Nov. 2018 as the human resources manager responsible for Aurora, Hammond and Denver.
- Trevor Wehner joined the Mueller team as a human resources intern Friday, Feb. 15. He was a student at Northern Illinois University with an expected graduation date in May 2019.
The five employees were killed by Gary Martin, 45, who was a 15-year employee of Henry Pratt Co. Hall said Martin was in the final stage of a progressive discipline program. Martin was terminated Feb. 15, after which he opened fire in the building. He was not legally allowed to own the gun he possessed due to a felony conviction for aggravated assault in Mississippi in 1995. (Read a full report here.)
According to The Daily Herald, Beyer had fought on behalf of Martin to keep his job two months prior to the shooting Friday. Beyer was in the room during the termination process because of his status as union chairman. Wehner, a human resources intern, also was in the room along with Pinkard, the plant manager. The three were the first ones to be shot.
Hall said the Mueller Water Products team will be conducting an internal audit of all its safety and emergency procedures.
“In the days and weeks ahead, we will be reviewing every aspect of this tragedy and the steps we need to take to ensure this horrible incident is ever repeated,” Hall said. “We’re assessing if there is anything we could have done or could do in the future.”
Hall also noted that counseling and other assistance programs are being offered at all Mueller Water Product locations for employees.
Hall said the building opened Sunday and Monday, and that all employees will be welcomed back with pay, despite the likelihood that nothing would be produced. He once again encouraged the media and the public to focus on healing following the tragedy.
A vigil was held Sunday for the victims. A reported 1,700 people attended despite freezing rain and heavy snowfall.
