TBI SAYS ATHENS SHOOTER HAD A CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT

Investigators continue to process and probe Friday’s events which left two people dead at the hands of a disgruntled employee in the Thomas & Betts plant in Athens. TBI Agents say that 45-year-old Ricky Swafford apparently became agitated in a meeting with supervisors James Zotter and Sandra Cooley. They say he left the meeting abruptly, went to the parking lot, returned to the offices and proceeded to shoot both to death. Swafford then reportedly walked back through the plant, but did not fire anymore shots. Employees were evacuated and Swafford’s body was later found in a bathroom. Dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was confirmed that Swafford had a concealed carry permit but it’s still unknown whether he had the gun in his car or on company property. It’s said that the attack did not appear to be planned and that Swafford has no known criminal history. He had been with the company for around 20 years. The plant has remained closed since the shooting, with the 300 plus employees on paid leave.

 

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