One of victim Vicente Juarez’s daughter Diana Juarez cries at a makeshift memorial Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Aurora, Ill., near Henry Pratt Co. manufacturing company where several were killed on Friday. Authorities say an initial background check five years ago failed to flag an out-of-state felony conviction that would have prevented a man from buying the gun he used in the mass shooting in Aurora. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
AURORA, Ill. – The suburban Chicago manufacturing warehouse where five people were fatally shot won’t reopen until next week, but its doors will be open to support workers, company officials said Monday.
The Henry Pratt Co. facility in Aurora, Illinois, will be open any employees who want to spend time with colleagues and counselors will be available, spokeswoman Yolanda Kokayi said. She said the warehouse tentatively won’t return to full production until Feb. 25.
A Henry Pratt employee who was about to lose his job opened fire at the warehouse Friday, killing five co-workers and wounding five police officers. The gunman died in a shootout with police.
“The lives lost were not only our employees, but also fathers, husbands, grandfathers, brothers, sons and our friends,” Kokayi said in an emailed statement Monday. “Their loss has left a huge void in us all.”
The visitation and funeral for one of the victims, Trevor Wehner, will be Wednesday in his hometown of Sheridan. Wehner, 21, was a Northern Illinois University business student. He was killed on the first day of his internship at Henry Pratt.
Kokayi said the company will be reviewing security protocols and “assessing how we can enhance safety.” The company also has committed to cover the cost of funerals, victims’ medical expenses and additional assistance to their families.
Mueller Water Products owns Henry Pratt.
