8 people shot, 3 fatally, at St. Louis factory, police say

Three people were killed and five others wounded Thursday in a shooting at a St. Louis, Missouri, transformer manufacturing company, police said.
It was unclear whether the suspect was among those killed at ABB Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

A law enforcement official identified the suspect to CNN as Timothy Hendron.

Hendron is one of a group of ABB employees listed in a lawsuit filed in 2006 against administrators of the company's retirement plan. The suit, filed in federal court, accuses the administrators of, among other things, causing the plan to include "unreasonable and excessive" fees and expenses, paid by participants, without their knowledge and not used for their benefit or that of the plan.

Linda Siegfried, a spokesman for the law firm representing the plaintiffs, confirmed to CNN that Hendron was among the plaintiffs, although his name is spelled three different ways in court documents.

A trial on the matter is currently being held in Kansas City, Missouri, Siegfried said. She didn't know whether Hendron would have been required to be present. Online federal court records show the trial began Tuesday.

Siegfried would not comment further except to say the firm offers its concern for the welfare of the victims.

The shooting occurred just before 6:30 a.m. Arriving officers were told that a man had entered the building with a rifle and a handgun, and that several people had been shot, police said.

"Police made a perimeter around the business and located those victims who needed medical attention," the statement said.

Of the five at area hospitals, three victims were listed in critical condition and two in fair condition, police said.

KSDK: Gunman shoots 8 at ABB plant

Authorities were conducting a room-to-room search of the large building, as well as surrounding buildings at the ABB complex, the statement said. Interstate 70 and surface streets in the area were shut down.

ABB spokesman Bob Fesmire said earlier there are about 100 employees who work at the facility, but some of them were unable to come in Thursday because of heavy snow.