Shooting tragedy at US rental business

The New York Times has reported that a United Rentals employee in Manassas, Virgina, shot three co-workers, killing two of them, before turning the gun on himself after a stand-off with police.

The paper said the gunman was named as Marvin Grant, aged 37. The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday at United’s rental depot in Manassas, about 30 miles west of Washington DC.

The three co-workers who were shot were taken to hospital, where Richard Lamont and Christopher Serrano died. The third victim, whose name has not been released, was in stable condition, according to the Virginia State Police.

In a statement on social media, United Rentals wrote; “We’re deeply saddened by the tragedy at our Manassas branch. Our focus is on our colleagues and their loved ones, and ensuring they have the support they need in the days ahead.

“We are grateful for the compassion and support shown to our team, and to the law enforcement officers and first responders who were there when we needed them.

“We stand together as we remember the colleagues we lost, support those who are recovering and take care of one another in the days ahead.”

The New York Times quoted Douglas Keen, chief of the Manassas City Police Department, who said; “We’ve got to figure out what happened here and what caused this.

“Our community is still hurting, the family of United Rentals is still hurting, the families of the victims are still hurting.”

IRN expresses its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of those affected and to the wider United Rentals group.

(Source: Dow Jones Factiva.)