NEW ALBANY, Ohio — In a distressing 911 call, a warehouse employee reported being shot in the neck while revealing that he managed to wrestle the weapon away from a co-worker who had already opened fire on several individuals. The shooting incident resulted in two fatalities and four others sustaining injuries, triggering a chaotic escape for frightened employees.
The events unfolded on a Tuesday night at the warehouse located in New Albany, approximately 15 miles northeast of Columbus. The suspect, Bruce Reginald Foster III, aged 28, made his first court appearance on Thursday, where a hefty bond of $20 million was established. He has requested a court-appointed attorney, and a preliminary hearing has been set for the following week.
According to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office, one of the deceased victims was identified as Shakhar Chapagai, 30, who succumbed to his injuries Wednesday evening at a hospital in Columbus. The second victim has been confirmed as Kyle Vaver, 38, from Pickerington, who was pronounced dead at the scene on Tuesday, as stated by the Licking County Coroner’s Office.
Currently, no updates have been provided regarding the condition of the injured workers. 911 call recordings reveal that some victims were shot in the production area, and the employee who disarmed the suspect indicated he subsequently handed the firearm over to a supervisor.
Police Chief Greg Jones noted that Foster had interacted with investigators but described him as not fully cooperative. The attorney accompanying Foster in court, Hailey Doliveira, indicated via telephone that her appearance was solely for the bond hearing, and she had not yet met with Foster to discuss the allegations against him. Attempts to reach Foster or his relatives through two phone numbers were unsuccessful.
When police arrived at the industrial park on Tuesday night, they just missed Foster, who had taken a rideshare to leave the scene, according to Chief Jones. Search teams, employing drones and a police dog, combed through the facility for any further threats.
Jones remarked that there seemed to have been some interaction between the shooter and the victims, though he could not provide clear details about the nature of that contact. Eventually, Foster was located at an apartment in Columbus and taken into custody on Wednesday morning. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Deville reported that a stun gun was deployed to apprehend Foster after he refused to submit to arrest.
The incident occurred at a warehouse for a company specializing in cosmetics and personal care products, where around 150 employees were evacuated to a nearby building during the chaos. Chief Jones noted that there had been no prior reports of conflicts or issues involving Foster at work.
This report has been updated to correct the spelling of Kyle Vaver’s hometown to Pickerington, rather than Pickertington.
