The suspect, an employee of a third-party vendor associated with the plant, has been arrested.

November 21, 2019

1 Min Read
Attempted Murder Via Garbage Truck

Two Smithfield Foods employees were injured in a shooting at the company's Tar Heel, N.C., processing facility early Thursday morning.

Just after midnight, the Bladen County Sheriff's Office received a call about an active shooter situation at the Tar Heel packing plant. Officers arrived to find the injured in a stairwell. First aid was administered to the victims and the buildings were cleared. After a short search, the suspect, an employee of a third-party vendor associated with the plant, was arrested.

The male and female victims were both taken to hospitals to be treated for their injuries. Their official conditions have not been released.

Smithfield Foods issued the following statement in response.

"We are shocked and saddened by the senseless shooting that took place at our Tar Heel, N.C., processing facility overnight. Our thoughts and prayers are with our two Smithfield family members who suffered serious injuries and were taken by life flight to hospitals, their families and loved ones," says Keira Lombardo, an executive vice president for Smithfield Foods.

"The safety and security of our employees is our top priority, and the facility was immediately evacuated in accordance with our previously established protocol. We will provide support to all our team members directly and indirectly impacted by this incident. We are so thankful for the quick response of the Bladen County Sheriff's Department and our own brave team members who assisted in apprehending the suspect, who is an employee of a third-party vendor. We are working closely with law enforcement and will provide updates as appropriate."

Source: Smithfield Foods, which is solely responsible for the information provided, and wholly owns the information. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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