KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffTwo Ameren linemen injured, police release gunman's name
Member Center:
Aaron Hemingway (Photo courtesy Jackson Police Dept.)
Police respond to the shooting at the Ameren substation.
Emergency responders tend to injured lineman.
Police stop the gunman on Ridge Road. The red pick-up is the gunman's truck.
Police respond to gunmen shooting on Ridge Road.By Heartland News
CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY, MO (KFVS) - Police have released the name of the gunman who they say shot and injured two Ameren linemen Friday in Jackson.
Police say Aaron C Hemingway, 32, from Perryville drove up to an Ameren substation off of Hwy. 61 at Center Junction and fired shots from his red Chevy S10 pick-up truck with some type of shotgun around 10 a.m., according to preliminary reports from Jackson Police.
Police say there is no reason to believe that he targeted the Ameren workers.
Two linemen were shot and injured. They were taken to local hospitals. Both men were in surgery around noon. No word on their conditions. However, a family friend of one of the linemen told Heartland News one of them was shot three times and is in intensive care. Ameren says a third lineworker was shot at, but he was unharmed.
The gunman led police on a chase that ended in the Bent Creek subdivision at Lacey and Ridge roads. Jackson police officers conducted a traffic stop and tried to contact Hemingway with their loudspeaker. When officers approached the truck, they found Hemingway had shot himself. Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton says Hemingway shot himself in the head which killed him.
The substation where the two linemen were shot is just off of Interstate 55 near Exit 99. No word on the motive of the shooting.
Ameren released the following statement about the shooting.
"All Ameren employees are concerned about an incident this morning in southeast Missouri. Two AmerenUE linemen were injured when a suspect shot at them as they were making repairs at the Center Junction substation - outside Cape Girardeau. Another shot was directed at a third lineworker; but he was not injured. The linemen are being treated at a Cape Girardeau hospital. None of their injuries is believed to be life threatening. UE supervisors have notified the affected families. After a brief manhunt, Jackson, Missouri police confronted the suspect, who then turned his gun on himself. The suspect's injuries were fatal."
"In my forty years with Ameren nothing like this has ever happened before. We will continue to update you as we have more information. Please keep our co-workers in your prayers this weekend," said Thomas R. Voss, AmerenUE president and chief executive officer.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department, and Cape Girardeau Police Department assisted the Jackson Police Department. Jackson PD is also working with the Perryville Police Department and the Perry County Sheriff's Department on a potential motive and other information on Hemingway.
The family of one of the injured linemen want to find the man who drove their loved one to the hospital. The injured man flagged him down and the man drove him to the hospital and stayed with him for a while.
The man is described as an older man wearing a camoflauage hat, jeans, plaid shirt, and tan and navy jacket. He was driving a pewter or silver mini van. No one at the hospital got the man's name and the family and Ameren would like to properly thank him. If you know who this is call the crisis specialist for the employee assistance program for Ameren at 573-339-1238.
Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. Notify us of any inappropriate comments by clicking the “Mark as Offensive” link. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register See all comments |
