Aurora shooting victim's wife says he texted, 'I love you, I've been shot at work'

CHICAGO — CHICAGO (AP) - The victims of an employee who started shooting after hearing he was being fired at a suburban Chicago industrial warehouse were co-workers that included a plant manager whose wife says he texted her "I love you, I've been shot at work," and an intern in his first day on the job.

A look at the victims:

JOSH PINKARD

Terra Pinkard says it all started with a text from her husband, Josh: "I love you, I've been shot at work."

The Chicago Tribune reported that she later learned he was among the five victims of Friday's shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora.

She wrote in a Facebook post Sunday that she read the text message several times before it "hit me that it was for real." She called Josh's phone, texted him and FaceTimed him, but got no response.

She called Henry Pratt, where he had been plant manager since the spring of 2018, and a woman answered and said she was "barricaded in her room with police everywhere."

"Of course my heart dropped," Terra Pinkard wrote.

She loaded her and Josh's three children into her car and drove toward the plant. When an officer stopped her at a street that had been closed and couldn't provide information, she headed to two of the nearest hospitals.

Hours later, police told her about a staging area for victims' families. An officer there read Josh's name among the fatalities.

"I want to shout from the rooftops about how amazing Josh was! He was brilliant! The smartest person I've ever met! My best friend! The man I would have leaned on during devastation like this who would tell me it's ok Terra, it is all going to be fine," she wrote in the Facebook post. "The man who was dying and found the clarity of mind for just a second to send me one last text to let me know he would always love me."

Josh Pinkard, 37, had attended the meeting where the gunman was fired.

A native of Alabama, Josh joined the parent company 13 years ago at its Albertville, Alabama, facility.

He earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University and a master's degree from the University of Arkansas, according to his LinkedIn account.

TREVOR WEHNER

The 21-year-old Northern Illinois University student was on his first day as an intern in human resources at Henry Pratt and also was at the fateful meeting.

Jay Wehner said his nephew grew up about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Aurora in Sheridan and was expected to graduate from Northern Illinois University in May with a degree in human resource management. He was on the dean's list at NIU's business college.

"He always, always was happy," Jay Wehner said. "I have no bad words for him. He was a wonderful person. You can't say anything but nice things about him."

RUSS BEYER

Ted Beyer said his son had a "big heart" and tried his best to make his office a better place. He told the Chicago Sun-Times that's why the 20-year mold operator and union chairman sat in on Gary Martin's termination meeting Friday afternoon. Ted Beyer said his son had helped Martin win back his job months earlier.

Russ Beyer was shot outside the meeting.

"He was a hard worker, just like I was," Ted Beyer, 71, said of his son. "I loved him ... We were close. He was my first kid."

Russ Beyer had followed in the footsteps of his father, a previous union chairman who worked at Henry Pratt for four decades. Ted and his 46-year-old son enjoyed camping, fishing and swimming together, usually at Taylorville Lake in central Illinois.

They also shared one more connection: Ted Beyer had also previously vouched for Martin in grievance meetings with management. Beyer remembered Martin as a kind, caring man who brought him coffee and walked with him following back surgery.

But, Beyer said, that doesn't take away the pain of losing Russ, the oldest of three children, who also had two adult children of his own.

"Anybody who knew him knew he had a big heart," Ted Beyer said of his son. "I just recently lost my sister and now this and, you know, it hurts. It's just like somebody reached in there and took your heart out."

CLAYTON PARKS

The 32-year-old from Elgin, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Aurora, had joined Henry Pratt in November 2018 as HR manager responsible for operations in Aurora, Illinois; Hammond, Indiana; and Denver, the company said. He also was in the meeting where the gunman was being fired.

Parks was married and had an infant son Axel, according to a Facebook post by his wife Abby.

"Every time I've closed my eyes over the last twelve hours, I've opened them hoping to wake from a terrible dream, but that's not the case," Abby posted. "I'm living my worst nightmare. My husband, my love, my best friend."

Parks was a 2014 graduate of the Northern Illinois University College of Business.

VICENTE JUAREZ

Neighbors remembered Vicente Juarez as a hardworking grandfather and rock of his tight-knit family.

Juarez was shot outside the meeting where the gunman was being fired. Juarez had been employed at Henry Pratt since 2006 and was a member of the shipping and warehouse team in Aurora. He had held several other jobs previously in the warehouse, the company said.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Juarez lived with his wife, adult daughter and four grandchildren in a subdivision in Oswego, about 6 miles (10 kilometers) south of Aurora.

Relatives declined comment, saying they appreciate the support but are still dealing with the shock. Neighbor Julie Zigman called Juarez "the patriarch of the family" and said "everyone looked to him."

Neighbor Joven Ang said anytime he was working outside Juarez asked him if he needed help. "That's the kind of person he was," Ang said.

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Associated Press