This photo released by the Denver Police Department shows Michael Ford in an undated photo.
Posted on 06/28/2006 5:27:44 PM PDT by Fred Nerks
POSTED: 5:28 am MDT June 26, 2006 UPDATED: 7:53 am MDT June 27, 2006
DENVER -- An investigation is under way to determine why a Safeway warehouse employee walked into work and opened fire on his coworkers Sunday afternoon, killing one person and injuring five, including a Denver police officer.
The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Michael Julius Ford, was shot and killed during a shootout with SWAT officers inside the massive Safeway Denver Distribution Center, located near Interstate 70 and Colorado Boulevard.
He shot randomly at coworkers, and when he shot SWAT officer Derick Dominguez, the other SWAT team heard Dominguez cry out, and fired back at Ford, police said.
"(Ford) was unprovoked and shot Officer Dominguez unprovoked. That's when the other officers came to Dominguez' aid and were shot at," Denver police Chief Gerry Whitman said at a Monday afternoon press conference. "They were exchanging quite a few rounds in there ... He shot at us six times and we returned fire 17 rounds. So, it was a gun battle that he started."
Ford was struck by seven bullets, Whitman said.
Ford was armed with a long-barreled handgun and fired a total of 16 rounds, Whitman said. He died at 4:24 p.m., 72 minutes after the first 911 call was received, Whitman said.
Who Was Michael Ford?
At the family home, located about five minutes from the Safeway plant, Ford's uncle and older brother told 7NEWS that Ford is a quiet, unassuming, responsible man who was born and raised in Denver. They don't know where he got the weapon or the anger to execute the deadly shooting.
"I never would have expected Michael ... that this would happen to Michael," said Ford's uncle, Roy Ford. "He was a good kid, never got in trouble, never gang-related that I know, and I've known him since birth. He was always a good kid that you would love to talk to and to meet."
Roy Ford said he saw his nephew a few days ago and that he showed no signs of anger or frustration about his employer or coworkers.
"I'm trying to understand what happened, and what went wrong, and it's just puzzling," Roy Ford said. "The reason why we're shocked is because it doesn't seem like it was Michael. It wasn't Michael."
His family said the actions that police describe is totally against Michael's character.
Ford has no previous criminal record except for a few minor traffic violations.
Safeway spokesman Jeff Stroh said Ford worked filling orders in the produce department and had been employed at the center since February 2005. Ford was scheduled to work Sunday and did report to work. His shift had just begun when he started firing at other employees and trying to set fires in the building, Safeway officials said.
Stroh said that there were no early signs of any trouble.
"In all of our investigations yesterday and this morning, we can find no problems of any kind that were brought forward involving Mr. Ford -- none whatsoever, " Stroh said. "No complaints to supervisors. No calls to the employee assistance program hotline. Nothing whatsover to predict this kind of outcome."
Stroh said he also had not received any complaints about Ford. He said the company has a "zero-tolerance" policy on harassment and offers a 24-hour hotline to help employees with personal or work-related issues.
The Victims
Police on Tuesday also identified the victims who were shot Sunday.
Maurico DeHaro, 32, was pronounced dead at the scene. Mark Moran, 37, remains in critical condition with a head wound. John Mendoza, 27, is hospitalized in serious condition with a face wound. Luis Relford, 34, was in fair condition and 27-year-old Oscar Martinez was treated and released. All the men all worked in the produce department at the warehouse and none of them were supervisors, Stroh said.
Relford is in fair condition with a gunshot wound to the wrist. Relford spoke to 7NEWS from his hospital bed and said there was no warning of what was about to happen. He said he was picking up his orders as usual and then felt a sharp pain in his wrist.
"It happened so quick. I wasn't thinking about the pain. I just got up and ran," Relford said.
Relford's mother told 7NEWS that her son is improving after surgery and should be OK.
"It didn't affect me until afterwards, you know. After he was in the hospital and after I went to call my son. That's when I really, kind of, broke down," said Mamie Relford, the victim's mother.
The officer who was shot in the left hip broke his leg, and remains in serious condition. Dominguez, 38, had surgery on the leg Monday morning and his condition is improving, police said.
Whitman called Dominguez a "superstar" and his SWAT supervisor said Dominguez was a high-energy enthusiastic professional who has been a member of the SWAT team for five years.
Dominguez was off-duty Sunday afternoon when the call came out for assistance at the north Denver warehouse. He left his wife and children to respond to the shooting, along with 21 other SWAT officers.
Whitman said two SWAT officers who killed Ford, 5-year SWAT member Ryan Grothe and James Sewald, who has been a SWAT member for eight to 10 years, were off-duty Monday after being interviewed by investigators Sunday night.
More at link...
This photo released by the Denver Police Department shows Michael Ford in an undated photo.
Somebody needs more range time. Missed 10 out of 17, likely that 2-3 killed this nitwit. Totally unacceptable. But it is Denver.
Ford’s mother and sister told a local TV reporter that Ford was a kind, caring person, who wouldn’t hurt anyone but that he said he was being teased at work because he’s a Muslim and he couldn’t take it anymore.
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/denver-safeway-shooter-was-a-muslim
...he said he was being teased at work because he’s a Muslim and he couldn’t take it anymore.Ahhh. So, instead of proving the detractors wrong...
"However, police said that they couldn’t find any motive for the shootings and not heard about the possible religious conflict that his family say provoked the attack."
http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/denver-safeway-shooter-was-a-muslim
Having a bad hair day? Don't like your co-workers, hate your boss?
Join the ROP - buy a weapon and solve all your problems at once...
Go straight to Paradise!
It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.
Convert ping.
Converts are the worst of all, they want to prove that they really belong and will do or say anything to win approval.
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