Law enforcement sources have identified the gunman who killed three people and wounded more than a dozen others in a series of shootings in south-central Kansas as Cedric Ford, CBS New York reports. The first officer at the scene of the rampage, which culminated at Excel Industries in Hesston, north of Wichita, "saved a lot of lives" when he shot and killed the 38-year-old, says Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton, according to NBC News. Paul Mullet, president and CEO of Excel, has confirmed that Ford, who had a criminal record, worked at the lawn mower manufacturing company. Earlier reports put the number of wounded at 18; that has since been revised to 14, with five in critical condition as of Thursday night.
Ford, who is listed as living in Newton, had a criminal record out of Florida, KWCH reports. Charges included burglary, grand theft, and fleeing and eluding, among others, dating back to 1996. He was also booked on unspecified charges in Sedgwick County, Kan., in 2008. Ford's Facebook page includes pictures and video of Ford holding guns and shooting an assault rifle, which is the type of weapon authorities say was used in the Thursday shooting. NBC notes that permits are not required to buy firearms in Kansas, and guns don't need to be registered. Hours after the shooting, police converged on what is believed to be Ford's home after receiving a tip that someone might be inside. Police ultimately determined that there was no one in the residence. (More shooting stories.)
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