2 Employees Shot By Co-Worker At Smithfield Foods Processing Plant

Two employees of the Smithfield Foods’ hog processing plant in Bladen County, North Carolina, were shot and injured by a co-worker early Thursday morning.

Bladen County Sheriff Jim McVicker initially termed it an “active shooter incident”, according to the local reports. He added that the incident happened in the stairwell of the plant. The male victim received two bullet shots on his upper body while the woman sustained one bullet injury.

Several agencies including the Elizabeth Town Police Department and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office responded to the event immediately. The Bladen County deputies provided assistance to the victims until the medical help arrived.

The accused, 20-year-old Jaquante Williams, was found hiding in the nearby bushes with the help of the canine unit and was charged with two counts of attempt to murder. He had worn black clothes in an attempt to hide from authorities.

In a statement to media, McVicker said, “This world we live in today, I would never think something like this would happen in Bladen County, but it did. The world is changing.”

Hundreds of employees at the plant were evacuated before being allowed inside hours later. The reason behind the shooting was under investigation.