The vice president of a plastics plant in Tennessee was fatally shot alongside another employee by a gunman who authorities believe also once worked at the same facility.
The gunfire erupted at Barku Plastics in Cleveland, Tenn., on Monday around 10:20 a.m., Cleveland Police Capt. Evie West told reporters. When officers arrived on the scene, they found Tobias Gleinig and Ivan Aldergot suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. West said the victims were supervisors at the plant and that they were both German citizens.
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families, friends, and coworkers of Mr. Gleinig and Mr. Aldergot during this tragic time,” Cleveland police said in a statement.
Authorities were able to quickly identify a potential shooter and a vehicle associated with him, which they tracked to a residence in Bradley County just outside the Cleveland city limits, police said. Cleveland police officers and a SWAT team from the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office then surrounded the home, where the suspect had barricaded himself inside. The standoff went on for “several hours,” before they sent drones into the residence and discovered the man dead.
Police believe he suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. While the suspect’s name has not been released, investigators told WCYB it appears that he once worked at the plastics plant.
Barku is a subsidiary of Barku Kunststofftechnik, a plastics maker established in Germany in 1977, according to the Tennessee company’s website. Aldergot reportedly served as the company’s vice president while Gleinig’s position has not yet been confirmed.
