Krafts Food Shooter Yvonne Hiller Charged with Two Counts of Murder

Yvonne Hiller, a suspended Kraft Foods employee at the company's Philadelphia factory, returned Thursday evening, gunned down two women and leaving a man wounded with shots to the neck and shoulder. Another man was also injured but not seriously.

A few minutes after being escorted from the facility by security, Hiller drove her car through a security barrier and entered where roughly 100 people were. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, she was carrying a .357 Magnum handgun.

According to the Huffington Post, police say Hiller feuded with her victims prior to their shooting deaths.

Hiller made her way to the third-floor mixing room where she worked, located her victims in the break room, and opened fire. She also fired through a wall at police officers but none were hit.

The SWAT team apprehended Yvonne Hiller while she hid in a second-floor office and she has been charged with two counts of murder.

Kraft has closed the Philadelphia factory until further notice. Kraft Food's Susan Davison said, "This is a tragic loss for all of us. To assist our employees, we will be providing counseling services at the facility. At this time, we are still trying to confirm the facts."

Davison added, "We again express our deepest condolences to the families who have been touched by this tragedy."

Workplace Violence Statistics:

According to a report by CNN, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics stated there were 72 cases of workplace homicides that involved a co-worker attacking another co-worker in 2009. Workplace violence fatalities of this kind are low in comparison to overall homicide numbers.

Risk Factors for Workplace Violence Include:

- Employee who has an obsession with weapons and talks about weapons excessively
- Employees who make direct or veiled threats
- Intimidating others or making them fearful
- Doesn't accept criticism
- Family, financial, legal, social, or other problems
- Extreme changes in behavior
- Layoff, reduction of force, and labor disputes

It should be noted that there are no clear-cut factors that indicate whether an individual is at risk for worker-on-worker violence.

Workplace Violence Prevention (Worker-on-Worker):

Although it can be extremely difficult to determine who has the potential for workplace violence, employers should carefully evaluate prospective employees, run a background check, and verify their references.

Employers should encourage employees to report any instances of bullying, threatening behavior, violence, harassment, and stalking, among other things, immediately. A report to your local police department should be a part of the reporting process as they will be able to assist in finding victim assistance.

Any changes in behavior that bring about any concern should be reported.

Sources:
Shooter kills 2 Kraft workers at Northeast Philadelphia plant | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/10/2010
Kraft Shooting: Yvonne Hiller Charged With Two Counts of Murder, Huffington Post
Workplace violence remains difficult to tackle - CNN

For More Information on Workplace Violence:
The National Center for Victims of Crime - Library/Document Viewer