Wesley Neal Higdon was the perpetrator of the 2008 Atlantis Plastics shooting. 25-year-old Higdon shot and killed five of his co-workers on the night of June 25 before taking his own life. The shooting was the worst mass murder in the history of Henderson County, Kentucky, surpassing triple murders which occurred in 1799 and 1955.
Background
Higdon was a press operator employed by an Atlantis Plastics warehouse in Henderson, Kentucky. He had a reputation for being difficult and was repeatedly reprimanded by his supervisor, 40-year-old Kevin G. Taylor on the day of the rampage. First, Taylor confronted Higdon over using his mobile phone while operating a press and not wearing safety goggles. Later, Taylor had words with Higdon over an altercation between Higdon and his colleague, 28-year-old Joshua Hinojosa, at a convenience store located across the street from the factory.
Two hours before the shooting, a disgruntled Higdon called his girlfriend Teresa Solano Ventura and told her that he wanted to kill his supervisor. She failed to act on this warning.
Shooting
Around midnight on June 25, Higdon had been arguing with Taylor who then escorted him out of the factory. Higdon, enraged, retrieved a Hi-Point .45 ACP .45-caliber pistol from his car and shot Taylor dead in front of the warehouse. He then re-entered the building and headed for the employee break room, where he shot four more people, killing three. Higdon returned to the factory and murdered his final victim, Hinojosa, from behind. He then turned the gun on himself, ending the massacre.
Victims
Deceased
Kevin G. Taylor, age 40, supervisor
Trisha Mirelez, age 25, co-worker
Israel Monroy, age 29, co-worker
Rachael Vasquez, age 26, co-worker
Joshua Hinojosa, age 28, co-worker
Injured
Noelia Monroy, co-worker