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Police identify brewery shooter

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Authorities on Thursday identified the man who gunned down five co-workers at one of the nation’s largest breweries before taking his own life a 51-year-old electrician who had worked at the Milwaukee Molson Coors complex for 15 years.

Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales identified the shooter as Anthony Ferrill during a news conference. He also identified the victims as Jesus Valle Jr., 33, of Milwaukee; Gennady Levshetz, 51, of Mequon; Trevor Wetselaar, 33, of Milwaukee; Dana Walk, 57, of Delafield; and Dale Hudson, 50, of Waukesha.

The chief could offer no motive, saying the shooting remains under investigation. He left without taking any questions.

The shooting happened Wednesday afternoon at Molson Coors Brewing Co.’s massive brewery complex in Milwaukee, which employs around 1,000 people.

Authorities have not released details about how the shooting unfolded.

Ferrill was a married father of two adult children and one younger daughter. Neighbors described him as a nice guy and helpful neighbor who enjoyed building guns, working on cars and playing with his dog.

“I considered him a son,” said neighbor Erna Roenspies. “He wasn’t violent. He wasn’t a drunk. He was a gentleman. I just can’t believe it.”

Ferrill was a licensed industrial journeyman electrician. The Journal Sentinel reported that he was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Milwaukee, and that he served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1987 to 1991 and was honorably discharged.

He also suffered from back pain, which was made worse when he was in car accidents in 2009 and 2010, the Journal Sentinel reported. He was a co-plaintiff with MillerCoors LLC Health Benefits Program in a 2015 lawsuit in connection with one of those accidents.

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