Boston - Nine people were killed on Tuesday in a shooting rampage at a beer distributor in Manchester, Connecticut, police said.
The suspected gunman shot eight people before killing himself in the 7.30am rampage at Hartford Distributors, a family-owned beer wholesaler east of the state capital, said Christopher Davis of the Manchester Police Department.
The Hartford Courant identified the gunman as Omar Thornton, 34, recently hired by the company as a driver. A Teamsters Union official said Thornton had been headed to a disciplinary meeting when he started shooting.
Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell issued a statement of condolence to the victims' families. "It was a senseless act of violence that has left us all shaken and reminds us just how precious and fragile life truly is." - Reuters