Sixth victim of Minneapolis workplace shooting died in hospital, family says
(CBS/AP) MINNEAPOLIS - A man shot two weeks ago in Minnesota's deadliest workplace killing spree has died of his injuries, his family announced Thursday.
Eric Rivers died at Hennepin County Medical Center on Wednesday night, his family said in a statement.
The production manager became the sixth victim to die from the Sept. 27 shootings at Accent Signage Systems in Minneapolis, not including gunman Andrew Engeldinger, 36, who committed suicide.
"We are grateful for the incredible courage displayed by the men and women who responded to the emergency and the wonderful medical team at Hennepin County Medical Center, who cared for Eric," the family said in a statement. "At this time, the family asks for privacy as we deal with this personal tragedy. We thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers."
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office said Rivers died of gunshot wounds and his death was a homicide.
Rivers, 42, had been in critical condition since the attack. Two other people were wounded but survived.
Company officials had just fired Engeldinger for lateness and poor performance when he pulled out a gun and started shooting. He killed the company's founder, three other Accent employees and a UPS driver before turning his gun on himself.
According to police reports, Engeldinger shot Rivers and grazed Battites Wesley, another employee, in the production area. Wesley told investigators he saw Engeldinger shoot Rivers three times. One of the bullets struck a main artery in Rivers' leg, causing him to lose a lot of blood, according to one report.