Two other people were injured in the shooting, including the suspect, who shot himself in the head. He had surgery Thursday night and is in stable but critical condition, Parish said.
A second shooting victim had non-life-threatening injuries. Two other people reported injuries unrelated to the shooting.
Just before 9 p.m. Thursday, Moraine police and fire departments responded to the DMAX plant on Dryden Road on a report of an active shooter. Crews arrived within minutes and quickly determined the active threat was over, Parish said.
A 911 call indicated hundreds of employees came running out of the building.
Crews found the suspect outside the plant with a gunshot wound to the head, the sergeant said. Officers and paramedics found the two shooting victims inside.
The shooting appears to be a targeted attack, Parish said.
“We’ve been able to confirm that both the suspect and Mr. Allen were apparently involved in a domestic related feud over a female who was also an employee of the facility,” he said. “During the altercation between the two males last night, the suspect produced a semi-automatic handgun and shot and killed Mr. Allen.”
The shooting took place inside the facility on the operations floor, he said. The woman was not injured.
“It’s apparent that everyone involved was working yesterday evening and at some point this altercation … ensued and the shooting resulted,” Parish said.
The suspect fired at least a dozen rounds.
“At this time, it’s believed that all those rounds were targeted towards Mr. Allen,” Parish said.
The second shooting victim does not appear to be part of the altercation, Parish added.
Investigators recovered multiple unspent rounds and at least one handgun magazine at the scene. A search warrant has been served at the suspect’s home, and police spent Thursday night interviewing people related to the shooting.
The suspect has not been identified because he has not been formally charged.
A woman named Candace Champ told the Dayton Daily News her boyfriend is the other man who was shot.
She said he was standing near the suspect and Allen and was shot in the foot,
“(He’s) just in pain and traumatized, because he actually saw the dude shoot the other dude,” she said. “… He thought it was over. He thought he was about to lose his life.”
Champ said it was scary to hear about the shooting.
“It’s sad how you can’t even be safe at work,” she added.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the shooting in addition to Moraine police and fire.
“Many of those officers were able to go in and help us sweep that building,” Parish said.
A General Motors representative confirmed production has been suspended. DMAX is a joint venture between GM and Isuzu Motors. The plant manufactures diesel engines for Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.
“We are deeply saddened by last night’s tragedy at the DMAX manufacturing facility in Moraine. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims’ families and all those impacted by this incident. We are working with local authorities on the investigation. In the meantime, DMAX has canceled production until further notice. Additional details on the incident will be released by local law enforcement officials,” said Paul Tanis, the DMAX Moraine plant director, in a statement.
The plant reportedly has its own round-the-clock security. Employees told the Dayton Daily News there are no metal detectors at the plant and the shooting occurred on one of the assembly lines.
Moraine police and the Tactical Crime Suppression Unit are continuing to investigate.
“The news of the loss of a member’s life last night at work is devastating and heartbreaking for our union,” the IUE-CWA Local 84755, which represents DMAX production workers, said in a statement Friday. “While there is still an active investigation, our priority at this time is the well-being of our members at the DMAX facility. The IUE-CWA is keeping the family members in our prayers and continuing to provide support however we can.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will also investigate the shooting.
“It’s considered part of their workplace violence program,” said Ken Montgomery, area director for OSHA. “We have to do something to be sure that they address those issues.”
GM said an OSHA inspector visited the plant on Friday. The company said it does not permit firearms on GM property.
OSHA will be looking into the workplace violence plan at DMAX, in which employers need to show how they would address violence when it occurs. The plan could include shelter-in-place guidelines or de-escalation techniques.
Staff reporters Eric Schwartzberg, Kristen Spicker, Daniel Susco and Samantha Wildow contributed to this report.
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