The gunman, whom authorities identified as Gary Martin, 45, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers.
His sister, Tameka Martin, said Gary Martin had worked at the Henry Pratt Co.'s industrial warehouse for about 20 years before he was let go two weeks ago.
Others — the number remained unclear late Friday — were wounded in the shooting at the company’s warehouse, where valves and control devices used in water and power systems are designed.
Scores of law enforcement authorities swarmed the facility in Aurora, about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago; sections of the city were cordoned off; and schools were forced to keep students inside for more than an hour.
By late Friday, officials had not yet provided the names of the people who were killed. Four hospitals reported treating at least seven people who were hurt. Among the wounded were five police officers who were shot and a sixth officer who was injured responding to the gunfire inside the warehouse. The wounded officers were in stable condition.
The first calls of a shooting at the warehouse began pouring in at 1:24 p.m. local time, Kristen Ziman, Aurora’s police chief, said. The first officers arrived four minutes later, rushing in and immediately being shot at, she said. Two of the first four officers to arrive were shot.
Ziman said officers from other departments converged on the site, and teams were assembled to search for the gunman inside the 29,000-square-foot building. When they eventually found him, she said, they shot and killed him.
Officials from Mueller Water Products, of which the Henry Pratt Co. is a subsidiary, issued a statement late Friday expressing shock and sadness.
“Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, the first responders, the Aurora community and the entire Mueller family during this extremely difficult time,” the statement said. “Our entire focus is on the health and wellbeing of our colleagues, and we are committed to providing any and all support to them and their families.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.