Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 18, 1995 TAG: 9505180055
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ASHEVILLE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
James Floyd Davis, 47, then threw two guns outside, emptied his pockets of shells and surrendered. He was charged with three counts of murder.
``A dangerous guy, and we knew it,'' said Larry Short, an employee at the Union Butterfield Division plant who escaped injury. ``He always talked about his guns. He always talked about his knives.''
Davis, hired in 1991, had been fired on Monday for fighting with other employees, former co-workers said.
About 50 people were in the distribution center when the shooting began about 11:30 a.m., during a test of the fire alarm system at the one-story brick building.
``He just came in and started shooting at anybody who was available,'' said Alan Fowler, vice president of sales.
``I heard gunfire, then someone yelled, `It's James!' and then everyone ran,'' said Short, who was at his desk. Short said he got out an exit and ran for help, and the gunman opened a door and started shooting at him.
``I proceeded to run like crazy, run and roll, run and roll like crazy,'' Short said. Bullets ``were hitting the cars around me. I heard the bullets hitting the ground around me and hitting the street.''
Police found a rifle and a handgun on the floor of the plant, along with numerous live and spent rounds, Capt. Ross Robinson said.
Lynn Yarbrough, vice president of a graphics firm that owns the building and shares it with Union Butterfield, said he saw the suspect standing in the plant's doorway smoking a cigarette when police arrived. He said that after talking with police for several minutes, the man tossed out two guns, an ammunition belt and an ammunition clip.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB