Atlantis Plastics shooting

2008 Atlantis Plastics shooting
Undated Photo of Wesley Neal Higdon
Location	Henderson, Kentucky, United States
Date	June 24, 2008 (2008-06-24)-June 25, 2008 (2008-06-25) c. 10:33pm-12:00am (CDT)
Attack type	Workplace shooting murder-suicide mass murder mass shooting
Weapons	Hi-Point Model JHP .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol
Deaths	6 (including the perpetrator)
Injured	1
Perpetrator	Wesley Neal Higdon

The 2008 Atlantis Plastics shooting was an incident of a mass shooting that took place at a Atlantis Plastics factory in Henderson, Kentucky, United States, on June 24, 2008 and lasted into the early hours of the next day. That night at 10pm 25-year-old Wesley Neal Higdon shot and killed five people and critically injured a sixth person before committing suicide inside the factory. ^[1] The shooting is the worst in the history of Henderson County, Kentucky, in terms of casualties, surpassing triple homicides occurring in 1799 and 1955. ^[2]

Details

Henderson police said that the shooter, who had a reputation for being difficult, had argued with supervisor Kevin Taylor and was being escorted out of the factory by the supervisor. The shooting started at around 10:33pm when Higdon retrieved a handgun from his car, fatally shot the supervisor outside, then went back into the factory and fatally shot four more co-workers. The shooting ended in the early hours of June 25 when Higdon committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with his handgun. [3] ^{[4] [5]} Subsequent reports indicate that Taylor had reprimanded Higdon twice before the shooting, once for talking on his cell phone too much and for not wearing safety glasses, then later for an altercation with co-worker Joshua Hinojosa at a convenience store across the street from the factory.

The victims were all shot with a Hi-Point Model JHP .45-caliber pistol. Taylor was apparently shot by Higdon outside the factory, followed by four more workers in the factory's break room, and finally Hinojosa from behind on the factory floor. ^[6] Higdon then committed suicide. 2 hours before the shooting Higdon had called his girlfriend and advised her was going to kill his boss at the factory according to police she didn’t warn anyone. ^[7]

Victims

Deceased

• Wesley Neal Higdon, gunman, 25, of Henderson
• Joshua Hinojosa, co-worker, 28, of Sebree
• Trisha Mirelez, co-worker, 25, of Sebree
• Israel Monroy, co-worker, 29, of Henderson
• Kevin G. Taylor, supervisor, 40, of Dixon
• Rachael Vasquez, co-worker, 26, of Sebree

Injured

• Noelia Monroy, co-worker, of Higdon, sister of Israel, shot one time each in the arm, chest, and leg. ^{[8] [9]}

References

1. Lenz, Ryan (June 25, 2008). "6 dead in Henderson, Ky., plastics plant shooting". Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008.
2. Smith, Beth (June 26, 2008). "Rampage at Atlantis Plastics ends with six dead". Henderson Gleaner . Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
3. Goldman, Russell (June 25, 2008). "Six Killed in Factory Shooting, Including Gunman". ABC News.
4. Riley, Jason (June 25, 2008). "Factory rampage that kills 6 may have been planned". The Courier-Journal .
5. Conlon, Michael (June 25, 2008). "Six dead in Kentucky factory shooting". Reuters .
6. Boyett, Frank (June 26, 2008). "Shooting worst homicide here". Henderson Gleaner .
7. "Ky. gunman argued with boss before shooting". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
8. Driehaus, Bob (June 26, 2008). "Man Who Killed Five People in Kentucky Had Called Girlfriend Before Shooting". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 26, 2025.
9. "Plant shooting investigation winding down". www.courierpress.com. Retrieved January 26, 2025.