Kenneth Tornes

Mass Murderer

1996 Jackson Firehouse Shooting – Kenneth Tornes

Overview

In 1996, Jackson, Mississippi, was shaken by an act of workplace violence unlike any the city had seen. Firefighter Kenneth Tornes, who had served with the Jackson Fire Department for about eight years, carried out a calculated and deadly rampage—first killing his estranged wife and then targeting his supervisors at the fire station.

Timeline & Details of Crimes

• Date: April 24, 1996.
• Victim – Wife: Glenda Washington Tornes, age 42, shot and killed at their home in Jackson earlier that day.
• Targeted Attack: After killing his wife, Tornes went to the Jackson Central Fire Station.
• At the firehouse: Armed with a rifle (and later noted to have additional firearms), he walked from office to office—passing by lower-ranking firefighters without harm and shouting at one, “Lady, get back, I am going to blow the place up!”
• Fatalities at Fire Station: Four supervisors were fatally shot:
  • Captain Merideth (Don) Moree, age 49
  • District Chief Dwight Craft, age 48
  • Captain Stan Adams, age 45
  • District Chief Rick Robbins, age 47
• Wounded at Fire Station:
  • District Chief Jacob Bell, age 48 — wounded, stable condition.
  • Captain Ken Lewis, age 50 — wounded, critical condition.
• Aftermath: Tornes fled, leading police on a high-speed chase to the parking lot of North Park Mall in Ridgeland, Mississippi. During a brief shootout there, a police officer was wounded, and Tornes himself was shot in the left eye.

Subsequent Proceedings & Outcome

• Conviction & Sentencing: Tornes was eventually tried and convicted on capital murder charges. He received a death sentence for killing two chiefs (Craft and Robbins) and life sentences for his wife’s death and the murders of the other two supervisors.
• Death in Custody: Tornes died on death row on April 9, 2000, of a blood clot in his lung, before the sentence could be carried out. An autopsy confirmed natural causes with no signs of foul play; he was found dead in the prison infirmary under medical observation.

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Confirmed Victims: (5)

Stanley Adams 45 yr old Male

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1996 Jackson firehouse shooting - Wikipedia

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