WAYCROSS, Ga. – A husband and wife were killed Friday morning in what is believed a murder-suicide at a Waycross factory.
Ware County deputies and Waycross police initially responded at 9:39 a.m. to a report of an active shooter at Clayton Homes, a manufactured home factory, but a company official said it was a domestic despite.
According to a company spokesman Audrey Eason, the man, who was an employee, got into a dispute with his wife in the parking lot. Eason confirmed both died and said no other employees were involved.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations, which is handling the case, identified the victims as Virginia Nicole Hill, 41, and Laurence Hill Jr., 44. Autopsies will be done at the GBI’s Medical Examiner’s Office.
Witness reports said the man shot the woman outside first, then inside.
“As soon as the shots started, everyone started running,” a witness said.
Clayton Homes’ website says it is one of America’s largest homebuilders but doesn’t list the number of employees that work at the company’s Waycross plant but it is believed to be well over 100. Eason said the plant closed for the day after the shootings and the company released a statement on behalf of management and the employees:
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the two victims’ families and friends. We take seriously the health and welfare of our team members and their families and are deeply saddened by this tragic event. We understand this to be a domestic dispute between one of our team members and his spouse. Our employees are safe and the facility is secured. We will continue to work with local authorities as they lead the investigation.”
A woman told News4Jax the woman killed was her niece.
“She was a very sweet and loving person and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for nobody,” the woman said. “It’s like I lost another daughter today.”
The rest of the family waited outside the facility while detectives investigated.