Employees at the Molson Coors brewery in Milwaukee are back at work and trying to move forward following the Feb. 26 mass shooting by a brewery employee that killed five employees, plus the gunman.
Police identified the victims as Dale Hudson, 60, of Waukesha; Gennady Levshetz, 61, of Mequon; Jesus Valle Jr., 33, of Milwaukee; Dana Walk, 57, of Delafield; and Trevor Wetselaar, 33, of Milwaukee.
The suspect, who police said died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was identified as Anthony Ferrill, 51, of Milwaukee.
“There are no words to express the deep sadness many of us are feeling right now,” Molson Coors Beverage Company chief executive officer Gavin Hattersley said in a statement on the day of the incident. “The most important thing is that we support and care for each other.”
Police have released few details about how the incident unfolded and say it remains under investigation.
The shooting occurred on a Wednesday and the company shut down operations at the Milwaukee complex. Brewery operations resumed a week later on Wednesday, March 4.
In an email to employees, obtained by WISN TV-Channel 12 (a media partner of BizTimes Milwaukee), the company said, “We know everyone is grieving and coping … in their own way. And we’re all in different stages of the process. While many people are still struggling and aren’t yet ready to come back to work, others want to return to the office and a sense of normalcy. And the reality is some people are unsure what to feel right now. Please know that no matter how you are feeling, it’s okay and we support you … We recognize not everyone will feel ready to come back, and that’s absolutely fine. We want to help in any way we can and understand some people may need additional time.”
The company said there is no current threat, but it is increasing security. It implemented bag checks at all of its brewery and corporate campuses in the U.S. Armed officers were added at several Milwaukee buildings. The company also said it is increasing unarmed security at the Milwaukee campus.
The company also acknowledged that Ferrill, an African American, had experienced racial harassment at work. In 2015, a noose was found on his locker, a spokesman for the company said.
“While we have not, do not and will not tolerate any form of discrimination, we will continue working to ensure we have the kind of open, welcoming environment our company believes deeply in,” Molson Coors spokesman Marty Maloney said.
Responding to rumors and speculation about Ferrill’s motive, Milwaukee Police issued a statement saying, “neither race nor racism has been identified as a factor in this incident. This investigation remains ongoing…the Milwaukee Police Department is not aware of any of the victims targeted in the mass shooting being involved in any inappropriate or racist behavior toward the suspect.”
