ANDOVER, Ohio – Two people were killed and at least two were seriously injured early Aug. 19 when an employee opened fire at an automotive injection molding plant in Andover, east of Cleveland, near the Pennsylvania border.
The shooting occurred around 8:15 a.m. at an Andover Industries plant and involved a single shooter, according to Ashtabula County Sheriff Bill Johnson. Two fatalities were confirmed by the Ashtabula County Coroner’s office, but office spokeswoman Fran Richards said she was unsure if the shooter was one of the dead. The Associated Press was reporting that the shooter, a male employee, died in the incident.
Two female employees of the firm were in critical condition at St Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio, as of noon, Aug. 19, according to hospital spokeswoman Patty Rush. Rush said the women were being treated for multiple gunshot wounds.
Johnson said the area had been secured and that he believed the plant was closed. He declined to reveal details concerning the shooter and also declined to say if anyone was in custody.
Officials with Andover Industries could not be reached for comment.
The privately held firm makes interior and exterior automotive components – such as instrument panels, floor consoles, airbag covers, facias and grilles – for the North American market, as well as parts for consumer products such as washing machines and snowmobiles.
The 50-year-old Andover Industries is based in Troy, Mich., and runs a total of 48 presses in plants in Dayton, Ohio, and Meadville, Pa., as well as the Andover plant. The firm ranked 58th, with annual sales of $120 million, in a recent Plastics News ranking of North American injection molders. The firm’s Web site indicates the company employs 750.
Frank Esposito is a staff reporter for Plastics News, a sister publication of Automotive News.
