Grandmother, granddaughter killed in shooting at new NHK plant near Frankfort
FRANKFORT, Ind. (WISH) — A grandmother and her granddaughter were shot and killed Wednesday afternoon at the new NHK Seating of America plant west of Frankfort, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office said.
Pamela Sledd, 62, and Promise Mays, 21, both of Rossville, drove to the plant together and were about to start their shift when a fellow employee opened fire. Gary Ferrell II, 26, of Frankfort, then fled the scene in a blue Ford Focus.
Clinton County Sheriff Rich Kelly said in a news conference Wednesday night Ferrell reached speeds of 90-100 mph and crashed in a construction zone in Frankfort. He was taken into custody without incident following the crash.
Ferrell did not have any criminal history police were aware of. Kelly said it was too early in the investigation to determine if the shooting was random or targeted.
The plant, which opened in June, is near the interchange of State Road 28 and Interstate 65. It designs and makes seating for vehicles, and operates production facilities serving the Subaru plant in Lafayette.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says the new plant is twice as large as the existing 152,000-square-foot plant along State Road 28 in Frankfort.
“Earlier today, there was a shooting at NHK’s manufacturing facility. Two employees were shot and killed. We are cooperating with the authorities, and the shooter has been apprehended and is in police custody. We are shocked and saddened by these events, and our prayers and sympathy go out to the friends, families and co-workers of the victims.”
NHK Seating of America
Below is the video of the Clinton County sheriff’s Wednesday night news conference. App users can view it online in this story.
