Shooting investigation draws FBI, terrorism task force

The Jackson Police Department is getting extra help investigating Friday's shooting of two AmerenUE workers.

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.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

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