Home World International Crisis Authorities investigate motive following arrest in deadly shooting at Ohio beauty products facility.

Authorities investigate motive following arrest in deadly shooting at Ohio beauty products facility.

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Authorities investigate motive following arrest in deadly shooting at Ohio beauty products facility.

NEW ALBANY, Ohio — A man who is alleged to have fatally shot a coworker and injured five others at an Ohio warehouse has been taken into custody and has engaged with the police as they seek to determine the motive behind his actions, according to authorities on Wednesday. The suspect, identified as Bruce Reginald Foster III, aged 28, is set to be arraigned on Thursday morning, as revealed by New Albany Police Chief Greg Jones during a late afternoon press briefing.

“He has communicated with investigators,” Jones stated, adding that he wouldn’t categorize Foster’s cooperation as complete. Police were called to the scene of the shooting at the New Albany industrial park shortly after 10 p.m., but while responding, they missed Foster, who had already left the area using a rideshare service. Law enforcement teams, equipped with drones and tracking dogs, conducted a thorough search of the premises afterward.

“It appears there was some form of interaction between the shooter and at least one of the victims,” Jones noted, though he admitted he did not have detailed information about the extent of this contact at the moment. Approximately 150 employees who were present in the building during the incident were evacuated for their safety to a nearby facility. “No one indicated that there was any sort of serious conflict or that he was experiencing troubles at work,” Jones remarked.

On Wednesday morning in Columbus, a stun gun was deployed to detain Foster, as shared by Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Deville. “Typically, we prefer that individuals surrender voluntarily,” Deville noted, “but he refused to exit the building, prompting our team to make forced entry.” Four of the shooting victims were receiving medical care at Mount Carmel East Hospital; however, their specific conditions were not disclosed, as shared by hospital spokesperson Mellissa Gallagher.

“They are hospitalized, and we are certainly hoping for their swift recovery,” Chief Jones said. A 9 mm handgun was recovered from the scene of the shooting, although Foster was not in possession of the firearm when apprehended. According to federal officials, he had legally purchased the weapon in September. All victims involved in the incident were employees at the same facility. The individual who lost their life was pronounced dead inside the building.

Court records from Licking County have not yet identified a defense attorney for Foster, who is facing charges of aggravated murder. Attempts to contact Foster or a family member using two potential phone numbers were unsuccessful as of Wednesday evening. The shooting occurred at a warehouse of a company that manufactures various products, including cosmetics and toiletries. “He made the choice to carry out this act of violence at his workplace,” said Jones, adding that the attack seemed to be targeted at his coworkers.

A request for comments from the company was issued on Wednesday. New Albany is situated approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of downtown Columbus.