http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/9082018.htm?ERIGHTS=-7909859058835949968kansascity
emphasis added by The Webmistress
Mon, Jul. 05, 2004
Some witness accounts of the fatal shootings at the ConAgra Foods plant in the Argentine district of Kansas City, Kan., portray Brown as a man angry at being teased by co-workers. The Kansas City, Kan., man reportedly took two guns from his locker and went hunting for his tormentors.
He ordered some of his co-workers to leave the building. He then shot seven men, killing five including three who were related.
Autopsies of Brown, 21, and his victims were completed Sunday morning. All died of gunshots, mostly to the head, said Wyandotte County Coroner Alan Hancock.
Hancock said the autopsy showed the cause of Brown's death was suicide.
There was no question; there was a contact shot to the right temple, he said.
Brown's family could not be reached for comment.
The men he killed:
Jose Ibarra, 45, whose identity was not released until Sunday.
Lonnie E. Ellingburg, 46, of Kansas City, Kan.
Travis Nelson, 23, of Kansas City, Kan.
Ardell Edwards, 55, of Grandview.
Leonardo Rodriguez, 49, of Kansas City, Kan.
Edwards was the uncle of Ellingburg, who in turn was an uncle to Nelson.
Also hit, but with wounds that were not considered life-threatening, were Victor Coggs of Grandview and Juan Ramirez of Kansas City, Kan.
On Sunday, Ramirez was in fair condition at the University of Kansas Hospital.
Kansas City, Kan., police did not release additional information over the July 4 holiday. The ConAgra plant, 4612 Speaker Road, was deserted except for security guards.
A telephone recording at the Con Agra plant extended sympathy to all employees and referred workers to another number for counseling.
It also advised them that the company hoped to resume normal operations on Tuesday, pending police approval.
ConAgra spokeswoman Julie DeYoung said Sunday that company officials would meet today to decide when to reopen the plant. Police have cleared the scene, she said, but officials were discussing what would be appropriate, considering the feelings of employees.
She said about two dozen workers had gone to an area hotel for counseling at a site set up by the company and additional employees had called a toll-free number to talk with counselors.
Employees can call the plant after 9 a.m. today for an updated recording with information as to when they might return to work, she said.
DeYoung said the company was considering setting up funds to aid victims' families, but the holiday weekend had made that difficult to plan.
To reach Russ Pulley, reporter, call (816) 234-7811 or send e-mail to rpulley@kcstar.com
Illustration added by The Webmistress with the kind permission of the KLJ art collection.