Gunman Kills 2 Co-Workers at Illinois Appliance Plant

A worker at a Springfield, Illinois, company making beverage dispensers shot and killed two co-workers Friday morning and wounded a third, authorities said. He escaped the scene and later killed himself in a neighboring county.

At approximately 11:03 a.m. Sangamon County Central Dispatch received a call of multiple shots fired at the Bunn-O-Matic plant. Subsequent callers stated that a subject had been shot, Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow said.

Upon arrival, officers located two victims inside one of the buildings on the property and one in the parking lot. At least 175 other workers were inside the plant when the shooting began, local media reports.

The suspect, identified as Michael Collins, 48, had fled the scene prior to officers’ arrival.

Officers identified a possible suspect and checked multiple locations for his whereabouts. Local law enforcement agencies attempted to locate the suspect and his description was distributed throughout the state.

Springfield Police Officers secured the scene and searched for additional victims and witnesses.

At 1:49 p.m., the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office notified the Springfield Police Department that they had located the suspect inside his vehicle -- deceased. Authorities believe the suspect acted alone.

The FBI, Illinois State Police, Sangamon County & Morgan County Sherriff’s Departments along with other law enforcement agencies are currently assisting the Springfield Police Department in this ongoing investigation.