A man police identified as 36-year-old Andrew Engeldinger had been fired from his job at Accent Signage Systems in Minneapolis Thursday morning. Police say Engeldinger returned that afternoon and opened fire before taking his own life. As of 4:45 p.m. Friday, six people had died.
Among the dead were the company's founder, Reuven Rahamim, an Israeli–born entrepreneur who started the signage company in his basement. His company created braille signs used all over the world, including at the White House.
Also killed was UPS driver, Keith Basinski of Spring Lake Park, who by all media accounts, happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Friday evening the Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified three other victims: Ronald Edberg, 58, of Brooklyn Center; Jacob Beneke, 34, of Maple Grove; and Rami Cooks, 62, of Minnetonka. Edberg, Beneke and Cooks were all Accent employees.
In addition three other employees were injured in the shooting. Two remain hospitalized in critical condition: Accent executives John Souter and Eric Rivers.
Large Response
The mass shooting occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Accent Signage, 2323 Chestnut Ave. W, in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood near the Golden Valley border.
"It is very unusual, and we have not had anything like this in the city of Minneapolis," said Deputy Chief Kris Arneson of the Minneapolis Police Dept. "This is a very safe neighborhood, very unexpected."
When the unexpected occurs, local police exercise their mutual aid agreements and call in reinforcements. Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Todd Milburn said the city's SWAT team was actually training at the time of the shooting.
"Our officers were in place, ready to go with equipment and they were wearing what they needed and so they were able to respond very quickly and efficiently," Milburn said.
Milburn went on to say that the officers who made their way to Minneapolis were placed in "standby mode" to help as needed.
"So they did not actively participate in the scene itself, but you always take away something from situations like this," he added. "And you prepare yourself and you're adequately trained for a situation that may arise down the road."
Meanwhile, others are left to deal with a senseless tragedy.
"I'm just shocked, just blown away by this," said U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, who toured Accent Signage last month. He was friends with company founder Reuven Rahamim.
"Just prayers for my friend, Reuven, who lost his life in this horrible tragedy and his family, prayers for his son who's carrying on," Ellison added. "And also the shooter's family, who I have not talked to yet, but I know them, one of them, and they're fine people."
They'll join countless others in mourning Thursday's shooting victims.
"So prayers for all of us and hopefully we'll find the resolve to act and try to prevent these kind of tragedies in the future," Ellison said.
Ellison went on to say that this incident – and similar tragedies around the nation – highlight the need for, "sane, rational, gun control." He also expressed a need for a greater investment in America's mental health system.
Delane Cleveland
dcleveland@twelve.tv
Sept. 28, 2012