NEWALBANY, Ohio — A warehouse worker said he took a gun from a colleague on a desperate 911 phone call after he was shot in the neck and several other shots. Two people were killed, four injured and panicked employees fled.
It is unclear why it led to the Tuesday night shooting at a New Albany warehouse about 15 miles northeast of downtown Columbus. 28-year-old Bruce Reginald Foster III, who was accused of the attack, appeared in the first courthouse on Thursday, with Bond set at $20 million. He was looking for a court-appointed lawyer and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for next week.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office said Thursday that one of the shooting victims, Shahar Chapagai, 30, died Wednesday evening at Carmel East Mountain at Columbus Hospital. Others killed were announced Thursday by Kyle Verber, 38, of Piccarrington, the office of the Licking County Coroner. Verber died on the scene Tuesday, authorities said.
Details on the conditions for injured workers have not been released.
On a 911 call, workers said some of the victims had been shot dead in the production area. The man who said he had taken the gun said he handed the weapon to the supervisor.
New Albany Police Chief Greg Jones said Wednesday that Foster spoke to investigators. “I wouldn’t call him completely supportive,” Jones said.
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The lawyer who appeared with Foster on Thursday said in a phone interview that she was there just for a bond hearing. She said she couldn’t comment on whether he would deny the allegations as she didn’t meet with Foster. Two possible phone numbers for Foster or relatives were not working Wednesday.
Police responded to the New Albany Industrial Park on Tuesday night and just missed Foster as he removed rideshare from the scene, Jones said. A police team, rescued by a drone and a police dog, searched the facility.
“It appears there was contact between the victim and the shooter,” Jones said. “At this point, I don’t have a clear picture of how involved the contact was.”
Foster was found in an apartment in Columbus and was arrested Wednesday morning. Former United States Deputy Director Dan Devil S. said the stun gun was used to suppress Foster, but he refused to surrender.
The shooting took place in the warehouse of a company that manufactures products such as cosmetics and toiletries. Approximately 150 employees within the building were evacuated to a nearby building.
“When there was a conflict, no one reported him being in trouble at work,” Jones said.
