Conn. shooter told 911 he 'handled the problem'

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100805/ap_on_re_us/us_beer_distributor_shootings

Conn. shooter told 911 he 'handled the problem'

By STEPHEN SINGER and MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press Writer Singer And

Mark Scolforo, Associated Press Writer – Thu Aug 5, 7:58 pm ET

HARTFORD, Conn. – A black man who went on a shooting rampage at a beer

distributor calmly told a 911 operator that it was " a racist place " and that he

" handled the problem " but wished he had shot more people.

Thornton called 911 after shooting 10 co-workers — eight fatally — on

Tuesday morning at Hartford Distributors Inc. He introduced himself as " the

shooter over in Manchester " and said he was hiding in the building, but he would

not say where.

" You probably want to know the reason why I shot this place up, " he said, his

voice steady. " This place is a racist place. They're treating me bad over here.

And treat all other black employees bad over here, too. So I took it to my own

hands and handled the problem. I wish I could have got more of the people. "

Connecticut State Police released the audio of the four-minute 911 call on

Thursday, the day company and union officials rebutted suggestions that the

company had ignored Thornton's complaints of racism.

Thornton, 34, went on his rampage moments after he was forced to resign when

confronted with video evidence that he had been stealing and reselling beer.

The 911 call confirmed suggestions from his relatives and girlfriend that he

believed he was avenging racist treatment in the workplace.

Hartford Distributors president Ross Hollander said there was no record to

support claims of " racial insensitivity " made through the company's

anti-harassment policy, the union grievance process or state and federal

agencies.

" Nonetheless, these ugly allegations have been raised and the company will

cooperate with any investigation, " Hollander said.

The union said 14 of 69 dock workers, or 20 percent, were racial minorities —

four black, nine Hispanic, one Asian.

The idea that Thornton's motive may not have been retaliation for losing his job

has not sat well with many of the people who knew the victims and have firsthand

knowledge of the environment inside the enormous distribution center in

Manchester.

" Everybody just thinks this race card is such a wrong thing, " said

Cirigliano, whose slain brother, , was Thornton's union representative at

the disciplinary meeting and the president of the local union.

Cirigliano also spent three decades working at the warehouse before he

retired two years ago.

" The Hispanics and the blacks were telling me they've never seen anything

they're accusing the company of in the bathrooms or anywhere else at HDI, " he

said. " It's never been separated white, black, Asian. It's never been like

that. "

He said the company had increased its hiring of minorities in recent years.

" They've been bringing in more and more minority people to fill the positions, "

Cirigliano said. " You could almost go as far as that's reverse discrimination.

They were hiring the groups to balance the workplace, because that's what we are

in America, there's a balance. "

Napolitano, the son-in-law of victim Victor , 60, of Windsor, said

treated everyone equally, regardless of race or religion.

Truck driver Zylberman, a 34-year employee of the company, said that the

racism claims " pissed me off because they were good people. "

Thornton's ex-girlfriend, Anne Brocuglio, told The Associated Press on

Thursday that he had a history of racial problems with co-workers at other jobs

and believed he was denied pay raises because of his race.

She said he told her: " I'm sick of having to quit jobs and get another job

because they can't accept me. "

Thornton's girlfriend of the past eight years, Kristi Hannah, said he showed her

cell phone photos of racist graffiti in the bathroom at the beer company and

overheard managers using a racial epithet in reference to him. Police said they

recovered the phone and forensics experts would examine it.

The union's lawyer, Gregg Adler, said the claims of racial mistreatment can be

difficult to disprove, but if they had been raised by any employee the union

would have acted immediately.

" There's not even a connection between the violence and the accusations as far

as we can tell, " Adler said. " The only people who were targeted were the people

who happened to be in his meeting. And then he went to the warehouse, he just

killed people who happened to be near the door. "

The 911 operator attempted to keep Thornton on the phone and to talk him into

surrendering. Thornton said he would not give up his location in the building

and knew police were looking for him.

" When they find me that's when everything is going to be over, " he said,

assuring the operator he was not going to kill anyone else.

He then said he saw a SWAT team and hastened to get off the phone.

" Tell my people I love them and I gotta go now, " he said.

Police found him dead with a gunshot wound to his head.

___

Associated Press writer Christoffersen in New Haven contributed to this

report.

(This version CORRECTS wording in quotes about treatment of black people and

about when everything would be over, per released 911 transcript.)