St. Louis gunman kills 2 utility workers before shooting himself

ST. LOUIS (AP) ' A gunman opened fire on two utility workers Thursday in St. Louis, killing both of them before fatally shooting himself.The shooting happened around 11:15 a.m. on the western edge of the city. Police say it's unclear why the gunman shot two Laclede Gas employees working in residential neighborhood, but the shooting appeared to be random.Names of the victims and the shooter have not been released. Authorities say the workers were both men, one in his 20s and the other in his 50s.Police spokeswoman Schron Jackson said the victims were working when the suspect "walked up and started shooting at them before turning the gun on himself."Laclede Gas is a natural gas distribution utility that serves the St. Louis area and portions of southeast Missouri."We are shocked and grieving today after two of our Laclede Gas employees were shot and killed this morning at one of our job sites," Laclede Gas said in a statement. "We are connecting with their loved ones now. And, we are working with police to understand more about this crisis. We are heartbroken, as you can imagine, and ask that you hold these employees, their families, their friends, Laclede Gas workers and our communities in your thoughts and prayers."St. Louis has one of the nation's highest homicide rates. The city recorded 188 killings in both 2015 and 2016 and had 45 this year through April 18, according to police statistics.New Mayor Lyda Krewson has said creating a safer city is among her top priorities. On Wednesday, her first full day in office, she announced that Police Chief Sam Dotson was retiring, though he will stay on as a consultant for one year.SEE ALSO:The Fresno gunman gave police a blow-by-blow of the shootings that left 3 men deadJoin the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Congress just voted to allow your internet provider to sell your online history and data 'here's how to protect your privacy
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