Former Employee Kills Himself After Shooting Two Workers At South Carolina Industrial Plant

A former employee shot and injured two workers at a South Carolina industrial plant Tuesday night before turning the gun on himself, a report said.

The shooting occurred at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at the Fraenkische plant in Anderson County.

Bruce D. Vandermosten Jr., 51, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore confirmed.

Both victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where one of them is being treated for critical injuries, Shore said. The condition of the other victim was not immediately known.

About 30 employees were in the plant at the time of the shooting, Sheriff Chad McBride said during a press briefing.

The workers fled to a nearby bar as the suspect opened fire, McBride said. Workers at nearby Tipsy Tavern aided those escaping from the plant and called 911.

It remains unclear what led to the shooting. The police are investigating to find out if the shooting was random or if Vandermosten was targeting certain employees.

McBride added that no deputies fired their weapons during the incident. A further probe is underway.

"Obviously, a very scary scenario, very tragic scenario, and so we're trying to work through all the details now and begin the investigation," McBride said.

Fraenkische is a German company that makes pipes and has about two dozen plants around the world. Addressing the tragedy, the organization released the following statement:

"We are incredibly heartbroken to learn about the horrific incident at one of our beloved industries. To hear that one of our industry leaders suffered such a loss leaves us speechless."

"We are with our Anderson County community, businesses, and law enforcement to support in any way we can during this time. The victims, their families, and the witnesses of this horror have our full prayers, thoughts, and support."

This is an ongoing investigation and no further details were released at the time of this writing.