Marketplace![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.semissourian.com/images/nameplate.gif)
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Read comments (10)
 FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Jackson police work the scene on Ridge Road where the driver of a small Chevrolet truck took his own life with a 12-gauge shotgun after apparently shooting two Ameren utility workers near Center Junction of Interstate 55 Friday morning. [Click to enlarge] |
Jackson police chief James Humphreys said he'll be meeting with the FBI and St. Louis-based officials from the Joint Terrorism Task Force today.
"We're going to turn over some items of evidence that we recovered from the suspect's apartment," he said.
The suspect, Aaron C. Hemingway, 32, of Perryville, Mo., died of a self-inflicted gunshot after wounding two AmerenUE workers at a Center Junction substation Friday morning, according to Jackson police.
The Ameren workers were taken to Saint Francis Medical Center, where they underwent surgery, Humphreys said, and will be interviewed again this week.
"They are recovering the way they should be recovering," he said.
"In deference to the privacy of the individuals involved we aren't giving out comments on their information," said AmerenUE spokeswoman Susan Gallagher. She said Ameren officials are "fully cooperating with the Jackson Police investigation."
Police remain puzzled by the shootings.
"We're trying to figure out why. Right now it's still looking like this guy, that his motive was that's just what he wanted to do." Humphreys said. "He'd been depressed, according to some of the investigators."
Humphreys said some of the evidence indicates that Hemingway was angry with the government, which is why federal investigators were called on.
"We haven't got into his computer yet to see if anything will tell us why," he said.
Hemingway's apartment near the corner of Jackson and St. Joseph streets, three blocks from the Perryville police station, was searched after police obtained a warrant. Humphreys said Hemingway did not appear to have a roommate.
"That's another thing we're trying to find out — if anybody else knew this guy or if he had any friends that might have known about this or any accomplices. That's what we're trying to run down," he said.
Perryville police chief Keith Tarrillion, who said he was familiar with Hemingway and his family but did not know them well, said the suspect had been in minor run-ins with police.
"We've had a few encounters with him," Tarrillion said. "We haven't had any major issues with him at all. The officers who stopped him said he was very polite. It's a weird situation."
The only involvement Perryville police have with the investigation, Tarrillion said, was to search the apartment and pass along information to Jackson police.
"If anyone has any information that would explain why he did what he did? Yeah, we would love for them to pass it along to us," he said. "We've just been assisting the Jackson Police Department and the task force. We don't have any criminal investigation going on."
Hemingway's family, contacted on Saturday, declined to comment.
Southeast Missourian reporter Bridget DiCosmo contributed to this story.
388-3646
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please 
sad story. this incident should be a warning to the conservative folks that are using race and religion to stir UNPATRIOTIC sentiment about the government. in the past, we did not get thru hard times with negative attitudes. this country got thru hard times by pulling together. republicans like rush limbaugh should really think about the damage they might be doing by inflaming super-conservatives.
giving HOPE for a better life, and working towards that goal is the positive attitude AMERICA needs right now! everyone has a right to their opinions, politically, but there is a time to join together to become unified to get things done, and that time is now.
rush limbaugh is a very wealthy man. he has made his money by being a showman on national radio. judging from many of his shows, he likes to instill emotions other than patriotism and fairness.
let's look up to leaders who want to bring ALL AMERICANS to the banquet table of a succesful AMERICA!!
Please Americans be calm and seek peace in the world..listen to peaceful people like Jesus..what would Jesus do if He was here today?
umm...How did this become a conservative "us vs. them" stirred up by Rush Limbaugh rant? As a family member of one of Ameren's lineman who was shot could you please just pray for our families & leave politics out for now. Thank you!
Wow, the liberals are out in full force today. I think I just threw-up in my mouth a little after reading that comment. I guess an article about kids mowing lawns could have sparked comments about how they are trying to have a better life as an American and Rush is keeping them from doing it. When in actuality it should be about the Messiah stealing from the kids future and redistributing it to the poor.
Stick to the article!! Take your politics somewhere else. The Ameren workers and families, and the family of this Hemmingway guy are in my thoughts and prayers.
my prayers ARE with all the families involved. the article stated the fbi was involved and mentioned the possibility of investigating whether the person was discontent over the government. read the article again.
people are unhappy. some people blame whoever might be more powerful than themselves. therefore the government is the most obvious and easiest group to blame. logicical to the FBI...folks
it is time to be pro-active..take a more educated and aware look at leaders...rush seems to be the spokesman for the super-conservative group of voters..that is why i brought rush to your attention.
sorry you want to puke...might try eating more healthy.. might give you a more peaceful tummy and lower you obviously volatile digestive system and lower blood pressure..have you considered pomegrante juice...
yep your response right this second is how i feel immediately after listening to mr. rush...but i won't call you names...because both of us have an opinion...and we have a right to it..
just encouraging people to calm down, and try to work together instead of trying to tear this wonderful country apart by being racist, wasting time AND SHowING OUR ANGER!
Dear maryannabert:
Talk about reaching across the universe....
what planet did you wake up on this morning....
to throw in partisan politics and specifically target
someone on the left OR the right for an action of a single madman is a sign of lunacy
I truly hope you dont own any weapons....
The shooter did us all a favor by shooting himself. We spend to much court time, and tax payers money on folks like this.
I pray for the family's involed. I wish the Ameren men well.
I agree Rush is a complete scumbag and anti-American (and pro-Rush), and it's too bad this whacko didn't take a shot at him b/c he's a stain on this community and the country. But since there is really no evidence in this case yet, and b/c the shooter was obviously deranged, I think it's a bit of a stretch, to say the least, to start pointing political fingers in this case.
I don't need to "read the article again." I'm LIVING the article!!
dear 2 wheeler ..your logic is worrisome..read the article again..perhaps you are the kind of person who still smokes ..and will be suprised when the doc tells you that smoking causes cancer...connect the dots....the fbi suggested the issue..not me...
Well, if it says he was upset with the government, maybe it was with Obama's administration. He could very well be angry with the new administration spending more money than the US has spent as a whole up to the point of Obama's presidency. Maybe he's upset with the gov't trying to take control of every aspect of our lives and spending the money of our children. Maybe he was just upset he didn't get his welfare check on time. Who knows and why try to make this out to be more than what it really is? ******* your liberal soapbox and talk about how it's a shame that someone would do this to innocent people.
Oh, and Rush isn't just for super-conservatives, just as Hannity isn't. They are for true conservatives, not the pseudo-conservatives a lot of Republicans are these days. Think Reagan, as opposed to McCain.