5 Dead, 5 Police Officers Wounded in Illinois Workplace Shooting

Five people died and five police officers were wounded in a workplace shooting in Aurora, Illinois, a city about 40 miles west of Chicago, on Friday afternoon.

Police identified the suspect as Gary Martin, 45, who was believed to be an employee at Henry Pratt Company, police said. Martin was shot dead by police, reports CBS Chicago. A motive for the shooting and the identities of the victims have not been released.

Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said police were first alerted to the shooting at 1:24 p.m. local time. They arrived about four minutes later and were fired upon. Five officers were shot and a sixth suffered a knee injury.

Police said the scene was secure by 3:30 p.m., reports WGN. The Kane County SWAT team and local police departments were joined by the U.S. Marshal's Task Force, ATF and the FBI at the scene.

"In the state you were elected to lead, in the state you were elected to protect, there is no way to prepare," Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters in a press conference Friday afternoon. "There are no words for the kind of evil that robs our neighbors of their hopes, their dreams and their futures."

According to the Chicago Tribune, a spokeswoman for Advocate Health Care said one patient is at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital and another is being treated at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. The conditions of the patients remain unknown.

Rush Copley Medical Center told WGN it also received two patients, who are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

"My heart goes out to all the victims and their families," Martin's mother, Felicia Martin, told WGN.

After the shooting, the West Aurora School District 129 put all schools on a soft lockdown, and students were released after 4 p.m. Basketball games and practices were cancelled.

The White House said President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation as he prepared to leave Washington to spend the weekend in Florida. Trump also tweeted on the situation, praising law enforcement for their quick response.

"Great job by law enforcement in Aurora, Illinois. Heartfelt condolences to all of the victims and their families," the president wrote. "America is with you!"

"My heart breaks for Aurora," Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin wrote. "I'm tracking updates on the situation with my staff. Thank you to the members of law enforcement who are responding to the emergency."

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth added, "My heart hurts for the victims, their families, the brave first responders, Aurora and all of Illinois right now. Our nation's epidemic of deadly gun violence is a real national emergency."

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