On a tragic summer day, August 3, 2010, the life of 49-year-old Edwin L. "Eddie" Kennison Jr., a White / Caucasian male, was cut short in a devastating act of workplace violence in Manchester, Connecticut. A resident of East Hartford and a dedicated employee of Hartford Distributors, Kennison was one of eight people fatally shot by a coworker. The gunman, 34-year-old Omar Thornton, had been called into a disciplinary meeting that morning regarding allegations of theft.
The events
unfolded after Thornton was presented with video evidence of him stealing beer. Given the choice to resign or be fired, he signed resignation papers. However, instead of leaving the premises, he retrieved two 9mm handguns he had brought in his lunchbox and began a shooting rampage throughout the warehouse. The attack was swift and brutal, leaving a trail of victims in its wake. Kennison was initially shot in the shoulder inside the building. He managed to flee outside, but Thornton pursued him. In the driveway of the distribution center, Kennison fell, and the gunman shot him again, ending his life.
The shooter continued his deadly path, killing seven other coworkers and injuring two more before turning one of the guns on himself, taking his own life as police closed in. In a 911 call made during the incident, Thornton claimed his actions were motivated by racial discrimination he had experienced at the company. However, officials from both the company and the union stated that no formal complaints of this nature had ever been filed by him. The investigation concluded that Thornton acted alone, and with his death, the case was closed without any arrests. Edwin Kennison, a beloved father, former standout high school athlete, and youth sports coach, was remembered as a victim of one of Connecticut's deadliest workplace shootings.
