Two employees of a plastics maker were fatally shot Monday morning in Cleveland, Tennessee, by an employee in the process of termination, authorities said.
The two men killed at Barku Plastics were Tobias Gleinig and Ivan Aldergot, police said. Both were supervisors at the plant and citizens of Germany, Cleveland Police Capt. Evie West said at a news conference Monday night.
Barku is a subsidiary of Barku Kunststofftechnik, a plastics producer established in Germany in 1977, which confirmed the "violent deaths" of Gleinig and Aldergot in a statement.
"We are all deeply affected by this senseless act," the holding company said. "During this difficult time, our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the families, friends, and colleagues of Ivan and Tobias. We remember them with respect and gratitude for everything they contributed to our team and our company."
Officers responding to reports of gunfire shortly before 10:30 a.m. found the two dead, the department said.
A possible shooter was identified and a vehicle associated with him was tracked to a residence in Bradley County, outside the Cleveland city limits, it said. Police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Kyle Steven Crandell, an employee at Barku who was in the process of being terminated.
Cleveland police officers and a SWAT team from the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office surrounded the home for around six hours, Cleveland police said, and discovered the man dead after they sent in two robots and a drone to take a closer look.
Crandell died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Cleveland police said.
Barku’s Tennessee executives and representatives of the German Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"This is a heartbreaking event that has deeply affected our community, Barku Plastics, and has even reached across national and international boundaries," Cleveland Police Chief Mark Gibson said in a statement.
The investigation is ongoing.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
