A man was charged with murder on Thursday following a shooting that resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left three others injured. Prosecutors are describing the incident as a “cold-blooded” attack at a linen company located near Philadelphia.
Wilbert Rosado-Ruiz, 61, is facing charges of two counts of homicide, multiple counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and a firearms charge, as confirmed by Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. The arraignment for Rosado-Ruiz was scheduled to take place on Thursday afternoon, according to Stollsteimer.
Rosado-Ruiz faced charges related to a shooting incident on Wednesday morning at Delaware County Linen in Chester, a city located south of Philadelphia. The company, which was established in 1988, is a family-owned business that offers linen rental and laundering services to businesses in southeastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states, as mentioned on its website.
According to Stollsteimer, the shooting seemed to be a result of a disagreement between Rosado-Ruiz and a female colleague. Authorities stated that it was not clear what caused the dispute between the suspect and his co-worker.
“This is an absolutely tragic event that should never occur,” expressed Stollsteimer during a press conference held on Thursday. “As I mentioned before, shootings happen far too frequently in America. While it could have taken place in any community, it is unfortunate that it happened here in the city of Chester.”
Three people were killed and three others were wounded in a shooting incident that took place in Ohio. The shooting was described as chaotic, and the suspect responsible for the incident is currently at large.
Gunman ‘methodically’ walked around, shooting victims
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Stollsteimer stated that the surveillance video depicted Rosado-Ruiz arriving at the establishment and engaging in a verbal dispute with a female staff member. Subsequently, he stepped outside to make a phone call, only to return wielding a firearm and commencing gunfire.
Stollsteimer described how he observed the individual carefully pacing across the business floor.
According to Stollsteimer, the first victim in the incident was a female colleague who left the building after being shot. As Rosado-Ruiz was also leaving the building, he spotted the woman and attempted to fire more shots, but either misfired or ran out of ammunition, Stollsteimer explained.
After the incident, Rosado-Ruiz quickly left the scene. However, his escape was short-lived as he was apprehended by a Trainer, Pennsylvania officer who had heard the description of the vehicle and stopped it, according to Gretsky.
According to Stollsteimer, Rosado-Ruiz was charged with a weapons offense because he did not possess a concealed carry license, even though he legally owned the gun used in the shooting.
Latest workplace shooting in U.S.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the number of mass shootings in the country has reached at least 168 this year. A mass shooting is defined by the organization as an incident where at least four people, excluding the shooter, have been shot, regardless of whether they survive.
According to a tracker from USA TODAY, Northeastern University, and the Associated Press, mass killings are incidents where four or more people, excluding the offender, are killed within a 24-hour time frame. The tracker reports that there have been 15 such killings in 2024.
The shooting in Chester, Pennsylvania, is yet another example of workplace violence perpetrated by dissatisfied employees or former workers. According to the National Safety Council, assault ranks as the fifth most common cause of fatalities in the workplace.
In the span of two years, from 2021 to 2022, the public service organization recorded an alarming number of over 57,600 injuries. Tragically, the year 2022 alone witnessed a devastating toll of 525 fatalities as a result of assault.
In Half Moon Bay, California, tragedy struck last year when seven lives were lost in two connected shootings. Authorities labeled the incident as a case of workplace violence. Similarly, another tragic incident occurred in a Maryland manufacturing facility in June 2022, where three individuals lost their lives and three others were injured, including the assailant.
According to a 2022 report by USA TODAY, workplace killings committed by employees may be relatively uncommon when considering all mass killings in the United States.
According to James Alan Fox, a criminologist and professor at Northeastern University, when it comes to workplace homicides, it is important to note that the majority of them are not committed by employees.
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