Cedric Larry Ford Kills 3, Injures 14 in Kansas Shooting Spree

Three people were killed and 14 injured Thursday after a gunman drove through two Kansas towns randomly taking shots at people before opening fire at his workplace, police said.

The assailant, identified by police Friday as Cedric Larry Ford, was armed with an assault rifle and semi-automatic pistol during the "mass shooting" in Newton and Hesston, nearby towns about 30 miles north of Wichita, authorities said.

The shooting spree spanned six miles and covered three crime scenes — lasting just 26 minutes from when the gunman shot and injured a person at about 5 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET) and stole a truck, until the first police officer on the scene shot him dead.
Ford was killed at Excel Industries, a lawn-care company in Hesston where he worked.

Fifteen of the victims were shot inside the building — including all three who died, Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton first said at a news briefing Thursday night. Five of the wounded remained in serious condition overnight.

Walton told NBC News early Friday that Ford used the assault rifle during the rampage, but did not appear to fire his pistol.

The sheriff, when asked about a possible motive, said a deputy had served the shooter a protection from abuse order at Excel around 3:30 p.m. It was the second such order he had received after failing to show up in court, Walton said.