Critical Condition - Gunman Kills 2 And Himself Fresno Meat Plant

Lawrence Jones, 42, was halfway through his shift at Valley Protein just after 8 a.m. Tuesday when he pulled out a handgun and began shooting co-workers in the head execution style, said the Fresno police chief, Jerry Dyer.

Because it was so loud in the plant and many employees wore earplugs, the police believe that Mr. Jones fired several shots before any of the dozens of other employees in the room realized what was going on in their midst.

Though police had not identified a motive on Tuesday, Mr. Dyer said it appeared that Mr. Jones had not fired randomly.

It appears, based on his actions, that he was selective in terms of who he was shooting because there were other employees present that he could have shot but chose not to, Chief Dyer said.

The first victim, Mr. Dyer said, was likely Salvador Diaz, 32, whom Mr. Jones walked up to and shot in the head with a single round. Mr. Diaz was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr. Jones next moved to Manuel Verdin, whom he also shot in the head with a single bullet, then put a gun to the neck of a third co-worker, Arnulfo Conrriquez, and shot him as well, Mr. Dyer said.

Another employee, Fatima Lopez, saw Mr. Jones firing, and when she turned to run, Mr. Jones shot her in the buttocks, the police said. He then walked up to another co-worker, put a gun to his head, and pulled the trigger. Fortunately, the gun was empty.

At that point, Mr. Dyer said, Mr. Jones reloaded the gun, walked outside and shot himself in the head about 150 yards from the plant.

Mr. Verdin, 34, and Mr. Jones were taken to a hospital, where both were pronounced dead. Mr. Conrriquez, 28, remained in the hospital in critical condition Tuesday afternoon; Ms. Lopez, 32, was expected to recover.

What the authorities do know is that Mr. Jones had a criminal history that stretched back at least to 1991, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for robbery and burglary, according to the police.

The police said the serial number of the gun used in the shooting had been filed off. They also said they had found, in Mr. Jones s house, 45 more rounds of ammunition that fit the gun.

An autopsy of Mr. Jones, scheduled for Wednesday morning, could shed light on his mental state at the time of the killings, said the Fresno County coroner, Dr. David Hadden.

What will be very important in a case like this is the toxicology report, Dr. Hadden said.