On a day that began like any other, thirty-one-year-old Joshua Lee "Josh" Higbee, a White male from Hesston, Kansas, went to his job as a welder at Excel Industries on February 25, 2016, but he would not return home. A devoted family man, he was known for his willingness to help others and had a particular talent for fixing cars, a skill he learned from his father.
He was a loving father to his young son and was engaged to be married.
The tragic events of that Thursday unfolded when a fellow employee, Cedric Ford, began a shooting rampage that spanned multiple locations before culminating at the Excel Industries plant. Ford, who was upset after being served a protection from abuse order earlier in the day, armed himself and began a violent spree. After shooting at several people in the surrounding area, he entered the factory and opened fire on his colleagues.
In the chaos that ensued, Joshua Higbee was fatally shot, becoming one of three victims who lost their lives inside the plant that day. The gunman, Cedric Ford, was ultimately killed in a shootout with the responding police chief, who was hailed as a hero for preventing further loss of life.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation revealed that the firearms used by Ford, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing them, had been illegally purchased for him by his ex-girlfriend. The woman who bought the weapons was subsequently arrested and faced federal charges for knowingly providing a firearm to a prohibited person. She later pleaded guilty to the charges. The family of Joshua Higbee also filed a lawsuit against the pawn shop that sold the firearms used in the deadly attack.
