Man kills 2, injures 3 after arguing with co-worker at Chester business, DA says

A man shot and killed two brothers and injured three other people after arguing with a co-worker at a family-owned linen business in Chester, Pennsylvania, officials said.

Wilbert Rosado-Ruiz, 61, is charged with murder, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and other related offenses, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer revealed during a Thursday afternoon press conference.

Léelo en español aquí

The shooting occurred Wednesday, May 22, at Delaware County Linen, a family-owned laundry services company on West 4th Street that has been in business since 1988, according to its website. It mainly serves restaurants, country clubs, hotels and other businesses in Pennsylvania and some neighboring states.

Investigators said Rosado-Ruiz, an employee at the company, had gotten into an argument with one of his co-workers that morning. Rosado-Ruiz then went outside the business, made a phone call, went back inside, pulled out a gun and opened fire, according to officials.

"He methodically walked around the floor of the business and we have some videotape of him doing these things," Stollsteimer said.

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Stollsteimer said Rosado-Ruiz was captured on surveillance video calmly walking through the business and firing. Giguenson Peña Peña and his brother, Leovanny Rojas Peña Peña, 29, were both shot during the rampage, investigators said. Both brothers, who were from the Dominican Republic, died from their injuries.

Francisco Kenty, a Chester resident, told NBC10 he fled to check on his family member when the shots were fired.

"I ran back inside. I was making sure my grandmother was alright," he said.

Kenty also said he saw one of the shooting victims.

"He was just laying on the ground," Kenty said. "He wasn't moving. Wasn't anything. He was just laying on the ground."

Three other employees -- including the woman Rosado-Ruiz got in the initial argument with -- were injured in the shooting, officials said.

Police said the woman left the building after she was shot. Rosado-Ruiz was captured on video following her across the street and shooting at her again, according to investigators. Officials said he either ran out of ammunition or misfired as he aimed at her.

Rosado-Ruiz was later captured by responding police officers from Trainer, Pennsylvania. The officers stopped his car after a description of the vehicle was released, according to Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky.

He was then taken into custody without incident.

"I want to commend Trainer Police Department because the actor did attempt to flee, which they did stop him and again, he is in custody," Gretsky said.

Stollsteimer said Rosado-Ruiz had legally purchased the gun used in the shooting in 2018 but did not have a license to carry it concealed upon his person. Rosado-Ruiz was arraigned Thursday evening.

Stollsteimer described Rosado-Ruiz as an "angry" worker who had issues and confrontations with colleagues in the past, including on Tuesday in which employees held a meeting about his behavior. During Thursday's press conference, Stollsteimer said it's unknown at this time why Rosado-Ruiz targeted his four other co-workers when initially he had only gotten into an argument with one of the shooting victims.

Stollsteimer also said Rosado-Ruiz is currently not cooperating with investigators.

Community and officials react to the tragedy

The shooting occurred amid a 68% decrease in homicides by guns over the past four years in Chester, according to the Delaware County District Attorney's Office.

"We will continue to do the work we do every single day to try to keep the community safe," Stollsteimer said. "Today is a tragedy. This could happen in any community across America and increasingly does happen in all kinds of communities across America."

City council members described Chester as a tightknit community and said they were heartbroken by the deadly shooting.

"We just like to remember that Chester is a great place," Adolphus Adams, a Chester resident, told NBC10. "Don't believe always the hype."

Chester Mayor Stefan Roots said Delaware County Linen was a fixture in the community for the past 30 years and had never had any issues prior to Wednesday's shooting.

"Chester, Pennsylvania, never expected to be the epicenter of another episode of workplace violence," Mayor Roots said. "You have to anticipate that their had to be some type of mental health issue that would have an employee walk into his workplace on a day of work and take out his anger in such a violent way."

Mayor Roots and city councilmembers told NBC10 the White House reached out to offer support and make them aware that they're following the situation. The Chester Community Coalition is also offering support and grief counseling for anyone impacted.

“We want the community to know that we’re here to support them," Chester Deputy Mayor Portia West said. "It is all of our problem when we have gun-related issues affecting our community."