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August 3, 2010 5:16 PM

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Omar Thornton: "I Killed the Five Racists"

By: Kevin Hayes
Topics: Daily Blotter

Omar Thornton (WFSB)

MANCHESTER, Conn. (CBS/WFSB/AP) Family members say Omar Thornton, the man suspected in the Tuesday morning massacre at Hartford Distributors, was a quiet, hard-working man who wasn't a violent person, but was pushed to the breaking point by harassment at work.

PICTURES: Hartford Distributors Shooting

Thornton's mother, who lives in East Hartford, said she received a phone call from him shortly after 7 a.m. Tuesday.

According to CBS affiliate WFSB, she says he told her he had shot several people at the beer distribution plant where he worked, and that he planned to take his own life. She said she spent 10 minutes trying to talk to her son, pleading with him to change his mind, but she said she couldn't.

Minutes later, Thornton was dead.

"He said, 'I killed the five racists that was there bothering me,'" said Will Holliday, Thornton's uncle. "He said, 'That's it. The cops are going to come in so I'm going to take care of it myself.'"

Hartford Distributors (AP)

Holliday said Thornton had been complaining to relatives that in the several years he worked at Hartford Distributors he was confronted with blatant racism.

PICTURES: Hartford Distributors Shooting

Holliday said, "He had some instances of racism at the company. They were hanging nooses in the bathroom and writing stuff like that. They were singling him out because he was the only black person there in that area."

Thornton's family said he had taken pictures of the threats and said they believe he just snapped Tuesday morning.

They said they expressed condolences to the families of the victims, but they said they were mourning, too.

"This all could have been avoided," Holliday said. "He went to the Union a couple of times with issues concerning what was going on, and it was not dealt with appropriately."

Thornton had been caught on videotape stealing beer from Hartford Distributors and was supposed to meet with company officials when the shootings began, Teamsters official Christopher Roos said.

"It's got nothing to do with race," Roos said. "This is a disgruntled employee who shot a bunch of people."

Thornton's ex-girlfriend spoke to WFSB and said, "He's never been violent that I know of." She told the affiliate that "I don't know what happened inside of him" and said that "Something snapped inside his head."

Union officials said Thornton entered the business with a rifle and a red satchel filled with ammunition.

Authorities say the shooter killed eight employees and injured two others before committing suicide.

Complete Coverage of the Hartford Distributors Shooting on Crimesider.

25 Photos

Hartford Distributors Shooting

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by ddsharper January 24, 2011 4:05 PM EST: That's America. Bully, Deny, Whine and Blame the victim, especially when black. Liars. Even his white girlfriend and her family, even his mother and the 1 honest company man tried to say why. More of this will happen across the land. People are stressed and weaker than in times past and are not going to put up with racists and their antics.; Reply to this comment


by RadicalTraditionalist August 18, 2010 11:01 PM EDT: Pro-white talk radio:
http://www.reasonradionetwork.com/; Reply to this comment


by CurryCI August 13, 2010 8:47 PM EDT: If he committed a crime, would he have been in jail? Some Distributorships follow strict policies with Manufacturers Rules, or they lose the contracts to distribute, and adhere to aging DATES which are advertised leaving the question of was this the case? Was this a facility which has an employee benefit and Honor System which some were Ignorant to regarding employees monthly alotment of beverages which they are allowed to take home, as long as not providing for 'a party or social gathering'? Are Union Representatives receiving orders to change policies according to Lawyers and Counsel from community organizers which would shut facilities down according to the Corporations who distill, which caused this Tragedy? This is disturbing, and should have been prevented.; Reply to this comment

by smwhitehurst August 13, 2010 6:20 PM EDT

THEY got what they deserved. Racism was suppose to have ended decades ago.

Reply to this comment


by jd2420 August 14, 2010 12:09 AM EDT: Really???


by Clown_Shoes January 9, 2011 2:30 PM EST: its amazing idiots can figure out how to post their moronic opinions...

by hrp41 August 9, 2010 9:23 PM EDT

Listen all you redneck asshats. A company representative stated that he had previously reported the racial problems and that it was not dealt with properly. That being said I absolutely agree that what he did is inexcusable. That was way over the top wrong but none the less one could see how he might have snapped. From reading several articles I believe he had run into some racial problems and had also stolen beer and got caught. So I believe that both are true. Then when confronted for theft he snapped and starting shooting. So we clearly have two wrongs and a bad decision in how to address them. But he was clearly being mistreated which I am sure led to his outburst

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by ddsharper January 24, 2011 4:11 PM EST: His family and girlfriend said he never drank. Guy works for the company, snaps and then gets slandered and libeled.that is the American way, especially when reporting on black men. The white guy that recently shot the congresswoman is getting kit glove treatment, that respects his humanity, by the press. The responses on this thread are so typically of bully racists.

by mckockiner August 7, 2010 4:19 PM EDT

This ****** was caught on video selling stolen beer. **** your harrasment/racist ******** argument.

Disclaimer: If black people are allowed to say "******" then I am allowed to say "******". Anything else is just racist.

Reply to this comment


by msproductive September 18, 2010 4:11 PM EDT: haha ni99a you are soooo lame...Im black and let me tell you that ni99er word you use doesn't do a darn thing to my feelings but make me laugh...White ppl who are like you have no life...you ppl are so worried about blacks and what we do! We don't care about what whites do but every time i turn around you ppl have something smar to say about us...your one of many ignorant whitey and ans this why do you ppl want to be so much like us but hate us lolz hatersssss ! LMBAO!

by tachoma August 6, 2010 11:58 PM EDT

Black Wall Street - The Movie
Tulsa, Ok

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by hrp41 August 9, 2010 9:27 PM EDT: Because a man shouldn't have to quit his job over racial discrimination. He tried to address it. The article says that the union knew of the issues and did not handle it properly. Now he definitely should not have shot anyone but saying that the racial issue was BS is not true.


by Clown_Shoes January 9, 2011 2:32 PM EST: LMWAO....HAHHAHAHA....NOW THAT'S FUNNY

by jd2420 August 6, 2010 8:55 PM EDT

He gets into trouble for stealing beer and they are racist. Since he is black they are just suppose to let it slide and look the other way. His excuse of racisim is such BS. If the racisim was as that bad why didn't he quit the job?

Reply to this comment


by ddsharper January 24, 2011 4:14 PM EST: He didn't steal beer. those were white racist lies. they guy didn't drink and he was a driver. any video tape of him loading beer into his truck could have been of him working. you whites will never learn until God finally allows you to breed off the face of the earth. You think people are supposed to put up with your evil racism. It's a new day buddy.

by carolesvoice88 August 6, 2010 7:41 PM EDT

wow tib, you sure do have a huge chip on your shoulder. Perhaps that is why white men don't like to work with you, you like to
gripe and moan and groan a lot. And if it was true about your brother, why did you keep quiet about it?
And carolexyz, I would be very careful if I were hiring ANYBODY these days. They would have a complete background check, as well as a psychological profile. No one would get hired who had ever tried to start racial strife, just because they were unable to work with others or were just too buttheaded or lazy to do a good job.
S0,tachoma, you think if the guy had prayed HE would have become the owner of the business?? Is that some weird dream of yours, to steal a man's business based on charges of racism?
Hey, redblack,etc. I don't think all the diversity policies in the world would have stopped this thug from stealing from this company, and when caught to play the race card, and when that still didn't work to murder the people who in his warped mind were "taking" away his job.

Reply to this comment


by tachoma August 6, 2010 11:13 PM EDT: i'm just saying he should of tried a different a approach if racism was the case.... the power of positive energy to over come negativity is a beautiful thing. You never know what god have in store for you when the chips are down and you truly believe.


by tib5743 August 7, 2010 10:02 PM EDT: Yes this is true. I would not lie about the death of my brother. I have a right to have a chip on my shoulder because my brother was killed and I was told it should have been me. How would you like it if this happen to your brother? The problem is the men who worked with my brother knew what happen and did not come forward. It was said that my brother fell or jump and I knew this was not true but could not prove it. The truth came out after the mill was closed. Again I say there is racism in the work place and it happens everyday. Believe it or not.

by Franco1470 August 6, 2010 5:12 PM EDT

Racism is being kept alive and perpetuated in the United States by MSM news articles exactly like this. The articles title and opening paragraph set the racist premise. And the Blacks in American have hair triggers about racism and yet they are feed over and over articles just like this for the MSM. It is unconscienceable.

Omar Thornton is most likely dead as a result of this exact kind of MSM mindset that CBS shows in continuing to fan the flames.

SHAME ON YOU CBS!

Reply to this comment


by ddsharper January 24, 2011 4:16 PM EST: well stated. It's everywhere, the evil of racism, a manifestation of satan working on earth, where people worship at the alter of white supremacy. when anyone goes against it and its machinations, they are chewed up and spit out by the very system they rattled. RIP Omar Thornton. Been through the exact same thing with white racists.