NEW ALBANY, Ohio — A warehouse worker made a distressing 911 call reporting that he had been shot in the neck and that he managed to seize the firearm from a coworker who had opened fire on several individuals. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of two people and left four others injured, causing a mass panic among employees.
The motive behind the shooting, which occurred on Tuesday evening at the warehouse in New Albany, situated approximately 15 miles northeast of Columbus, remains uncertain. The alleged perpetrator, 28-year-old Bruce Reginald Foster III, faced arraignment on Thursday, with a bond amounting to $20 million. He has requested a public defender, and a preliminary hearing has been slated for the following week.
According to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office, one of the deceased, identified as 30-year-old Shakhar Chapagai, succumbed to his injuries the following evening at Mount Carmel East hospital in Columbus. The identity of the second victim has yet to be disclosed, and updates regarding the conditions of the injured workers have not been provided.
Emergency calls indicated that some victims were shot within the production area of the facility. The worker who disarmed the shooter reported that he subsequently handed the gun over to a supervisor for safety.
Police Chief Greg Jones mentioned that Foster has interacted with investigators; however, he described him as not being fully cooperative. By Thursday afternoon, Licking County online court records did not show any defense lawyer listed for Foster, though he had submitted a request for court-appointed counsel along with an affidavit indicating his financial situation.
On the night of the shooting, local law enforcement almost located Foster as he used a rideshare service to flee the scene. Jones noted that the police employed drones and a K9 unit to comb through the industrial complex as part of their investigation. “It does appear that there was contact between a victim and the shooter,” Jones stated, indicating that the nature of that contact is still unclear.
Foster was found and apprehended at an apartment in Columbus on Wednesday morning. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Deville reported that a stun gun was utilized to take Foster into custody, as he refused to surrender willingly.
The incident unfolded at a warehouse belonging to a company that produces various consumer goods, including toiletries and cosmetics. Approximately 150 employees present at the time of the shooting were evacuated to a nearby location for safety. “No one reported any conflicts or issues with him at work,” Jones confirmed.
