William Daniel Baker — Navistar Mass Murder (2001)
Overview
On the morning of February 5, 2001, former Navistar employee
William Daniel Baker 66, entered the Navistar diesel engine plant in
Melrose Park, Illinois and opened fire. Over roughly twelve minutes, he murdered four employees, wounded four others, and then killed himself. The attack unfolded around
9:50 a.m. to 10:02 a.m. inside the sprawling testing and office areas of the facility.
Background on the Perpetrator
Baker had been a longtime worker at the plant until his 1994 firing amid a conspiracy to steal engines and parts. He pled guilty in federal court in November 2000 and was scheduled to surrender to begin a five-month prison term on
February 6, 2001 the day after the shooting. He was also a registered sex offender from a 1998 case and prohibited from possessing firearms.
Weapons and Entry
Baker arrived carrying multiple firearms—including an
SKS rifle, a .38-caliber revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a .30-caliber rifle—concealed together in a golf bag. He forced his way past security and moved into the engine testing areas before stalking room to room.
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