In a tragic turn of events, 31-year-old Roberto Gonzalez of Dallas, Georgia, succumbed to gunshot wounds on Wednesday, January 13, 2010, following a workplace shooting spree near Kennesaw. A valued employee at Penske Truck Rental, Gonzalez was remembered for his big smile. His life was cut short when a former co-worker, 60-year-old Jesse James Warren of Temple, Georgia, entered the business on January 12th and opened fire. Gonzalez, a husband and father of two young daughters, remained on life support to honor his wish of being an organ donor.
The violent rampage at the Penske facility on Barrett Lakes Boulevard left two other men, Van Spring and Jaider Felipe Marulanda, dead at the scene. Two additional employees, including Gonzalez's brother-in-law, were critically injured. Warren, who had been terminated from his job at Penske the previous summer, was arrested shortly after the shootings without incident. Authorities later searched his home and found weapons and ammunition.
Following his arrest, Jesse James Warren was charged with multiple counts of murder. In the subsequent legal proceedings, prosecutors initially announced their intention to seek the death penalty. However, the case took a different direction when Warren was deemed too delusional to stand trial. This decision meant that instead of facing a criminal trial, he was committed to a psychiatric hospital. The community was left to mourn the loss of Roberto Gonzalez and the other victims of this senseless act of violence.
