Andrew Engeldinger and the 2012 Accent Signage Systems Massacre
Background
Andrew John Engeldinger was a 36-year-old employee of Accent Signage Systems, a sign-manufacturing company located at 2322 Chestnut Avenue West in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. On September 27, 2012, Engeldinger carried out a workplace mass shooting immediately after company managers informed him that his employment was being terminated.
Engeldinger had worked at Accent Signage for several years. Former coworkers described him as socially isolated and said he generally avoided eating lunch, taking breaks or socializing with other employees. Company officials had reportedly documented performance and attendance problems before deciding to dismiss him.
Members of Engeldinger’s family later said they believed he had experienced serious mental-health problems for years but had refused their attempts to obtain treatment for him. His parents reported that the family had become largely estranged from him. These statements provided context for his behavior but did not establish a single confirmed explanation for the violence.
The Termination Meeting
During the afternoon of Thursday, September 27, 2012, Engeldinger was called into the office of Accent Signage operations director John Souter. Before attending the meeting, Engeldinger went to his vehicle and retrieved a 9mm Glock 19 semiautomatic pistol. He carried the weapon into the building in a holster.
At approximately 4:30 p.m., Souter informed Engeldinger that he was being fired. Witness accounts indicated that Engeldinger responded with words to the effect of, “Oh, really?” He then drew the handgun. Souter and company manager Rami Cooks attempted to stop him, resulting in a struggle inside the office.
Engeldinger opened fire, critically wounding Souter and mortally wounding Cooks. He then left the office and moved through the company’s executive, display, loading and production areas while continuing to shoot employees and other people he encountered.
The Shooting Through Accent Signage
Company founder Reuven Rahamim stepped from his nearby office as the gunfire began. Engeldinger shot and killed him before proceeding into a sign-display area, where employee Jacob Beneke was fatally shot.
Engeldinger continued toward the loading-dock area. There he shot employee Ronald Edberg and UPS driver Keith Basinski. Basinski had arrived at Accent Signage while making a routine delivery and was seated in or near his delivery truck when Engeldinger attacked him.
On the production floor, Engeldinger shot production manager Eric Rivers, inflicting critical injuries. Another employee, Battites Wesley, suffered a grazing gunshot wound but survived. Some workers escaped from the building, while others hid in offices, workspaces and other areas as the gunfire continued.
The first emergency calls were received at approximately 4:35 p.m. Minneapolis police officers arrived within minutes and entered the building while attempting to locate the shooter and evacuate survivors. Officers found multiple victims throughout the facility.
Death of the Gunman
After moving through the business, Engeldinger went into a warehouse area in the building’s lower level. He died there from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before police could apprehend him.
Investigators determined that Engeldinger fired at least 46 rounds during the attack. He carried additional ammunition and appeared to have prepared for substantial violence. Authorities later said the pattern of the shooting suggested that he may have deliberately targeted certain managers and coworkers while passing by or sparing some other employees.
Victims Killed
- Reuven Rahamim, 61 — Founder and owner of Accent Signage Systems. He was shot near the executive offices at 2322 Chestnut Avenue West in Minneapolis on September 27, 2012, and died at the scene.
- Jacob Beneke, 34 — An Accent Signage employee from Maple Grove, Minnesota. He was shot in the company’s display area on September 27, 2012, and died at the scene.
- Ronald Edberg, 58 — An Accent Signage employee from Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. He was shot near the loading-dock area on September 27, 2012, and died from his injuries.
- Keith Basinski, 50 — A United Parcel Service driver who was making a delivery to Accent Signage. He was shot near his delivery truck at the Minneapolis business on September 27, 2012, and died at the scene.
- Rami Cooks, 62 — A senior manager at Accent Signage who attempted to intervene during the termination meeting. He was critically wounded inside John Souter’s office on September 27, 2012, and died at a hospital on September 28, 2012.
- Eric Rivers, 42 — Production manager at Accent Signage. He was critically wounded on the production floor on September 27, 2012. Rivers remained hospitalized until he died from his injuries on October 10, 2012.
Surviving Victims
John Souter, Accent Signage’s director of operations, suffered critical gunshot wounds during the initial confrontation but survived. Battites Wesley was struck or grazed by gunfire and was treated at Hennepin County Medical Center before being released. Other employees escaped without physical injuries but were forced to witness or endure the violence inside the building.
Investigation
Police searched Engeldinger’s Minneapolis residence after the shooting. Investigators found firearms-related materials and packaging associated with thousands of rounds of ammunition. Evidence indicated that he had purchased large quantities of ammunition and had spent considerable time practicing with his handgun before the attack.
Authorities examined his employment records, relationships with coworkers and personal history. The immediate triggering event was his termination, but investigators concluded that the shooting involved preparation rather than being a completely spontaneous reaction. His decision to retrieve and carry the firearm into the meeting, along with the amount of ammunition available to him, supported that conclusion.
No other person was accused of helping Engeldinger plan or carry out the attack. Because he killed himself at the scene, there was no criminal trial, formal plea or judicial determination of his motive or mental condition.
Aftermath
The Accent Signage attack left six victims dead, two people physically wounded and numerous employees traumatized. Including Engeldinger, seven people died as a result of the shooting. At the time, it was described as the deadliest workplace shooting in Minnesota history.
Memorial services were held for the victims in the days and weeks after the massacre. Families, friends and coworkers remembered them as business leaders, dedicated employees, parents, spouses and community members whose ordinary workday was destroyed by an act of targeted workplace violence.
The attack also renewed public discussion in Minnesota about workplace security, access to firearms, warning signs of potential violence and the difficulties families face when an adult relative refuses mental-health assistance. Accent Signage eventually resumed operations, but the September 27, 2012, massacre remained a defining tragedy for the company and the Minneapolis community.
