Three Dead After Workplace Shooting at Tennessee Factory, Say Police

iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) —  Three people are dead following a workplace shooting Thursday afternoon at a factory in eastern Tennessee, police said.

One of the deceased is the shooter, an employee of the factory who died from a self-inflicted gunshot, Athens police chief Chuck Ziegler said at a press conference. Ziegler said the man was apparently using a semi-automatic pistol, but he didn’t know the caliber or brand.

The shooting occurred at the Thomas & Betts steel fabrication factory in Athens, located about 60 miles northeast of Chattanooga.

 Police responded to a 911 call at 4:16 p.m. of an active shooter at the factory, Ziegeler said. As officers responded, they saw employees streaming out of the plant.

The identities of the dead have not yet been released. No one else was injured.

McMinn County sheriff Joe Guy posted a photo on Instagram of the cruiser at the plant, writing “Scene is secure.”

 Ziegler said police haven’t investigated the inside of the plant, but officers will be at the crime scene through the night.

Witnesses are also being interviewed.

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