An armed worker at an Amazon warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona stopped what could have turned into a mass shooting caused by an alleged bout of jealousy.
The incident occurred at an Amazon Flex Warehouse in the morning hours. According to Chandler police officer Jacob Murphy, the suspect - who was not an Amazon employee - entered the premises and shot an unarmed worker several times, for allegedly having a relationship with his former partner - an Amazon worker who was not in the establishment.
Authorities added that a second employee with a personal firearm shot the suspect in defense of his colleague.
The victim employee suffered multiple "life-threatening" gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. According to police Sgt. Jason McClimans, it is not known if the employee who returned fire in defense of his co-worker killed the suspect:
The victim made contact with the shooter in the parking lot, and attempted to get the shooter to leave the property. This is when the shooter shot the victim several times. The third man, upon hearing and observing the shooting, used his gun and fired at the shooter, protecting the victim. We do not know what the shooter's mindset was, but it is very likely that the contract employee who returned fire on the shooter could have stopped an active shooter.
Amazon and its "no weapons policy
Police said 10 shots were fired during the incident. And that once the investigation is complete, it would forward the corresponding information to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review, which they say is "standard practice" in all shootings.
Richard Rocha, a spokesman for Amazon, said they are "deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence at the facility." And he said they are "working closely with law enforcement as they investigate." However, many people aware of the news pointed out on social networks that the company has a "no weapons" policy and that there is a high probability that, for protecting his co-workers, this "hero" will be fired.
Unfortunately this hero armed employee will likely be canned for violating Amazon's no-gun policy.
- Mark Evans (@RealMarkEvansTX) December 17, 2022
Operations at the complex were suspended after the event and all employees were sent home, Rocha added. The Amazon spokesperson did not release further details about the circumstances of the shooting.
