Three people are dead, including a suspected gunmen, after a workplace shooting at a factory in Athens, Tennessee on Thursday, police said.
The incident took place at Thomas & Betts factory Thursday afternoon, McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy said during a press conference.
Police and fire first crews responded to reports of an active shooter just after 4:15 p.m. ET, officials said. Shortly after, Sheriff Guy posted an update to his Instagram, reporting that the scene was secure and the shooter down.
Police later confirmed the deaths of three individuals — one who is believed to be the shooter who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
During a press conference Thursday evening, Athens Police Chief Charles Ziegler said the motive for the shootings was still unclear.
"This is a fairly small community and folks here know each other," Guy noted. "That's what makes this difficult."
Officials declined to release the names of the victims and the suspected gunman until the family notifications were made.
Thomas & Betts is an electrical manufacturing firm and a part of the Global manufacturing group, ABB. Following reports of violence, ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer tweeted his condolences.
"All of us at ABB mourn this tragic loss," he wrote.
