An employee of Molson Coors shot and killed five people on Wednesday at a brewing facility in Milwaukee before killing himself.
The 51-year-old shooter, identified as Anthony Ferrill, took the lives of five fellow workers: Jesus Valle Jr., 33; Trevor Wetselaar, 33; Dana Walk, 57; Dale Hudson, 60; and Gennady Levshetz, 61. Law enforcement officers are investigating the attack and have not released the shooter’s motive.
Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that the victims worked as powerhouse operators, machinists and electricians. “But more importantly, they were husbands, they were fathers, and they were friends,” he said.
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) called the mass shooting “another senseless American tragedy,” speaking at the site on Wednesday night. “We should not accept this,” Barnes said. “We should never grow comfortable in the face of these repeated tragedies across America.”
Rep. Gwen Moore (D) led a moment of silence for the victims in the U.S. House on Friday. She said in a speech on the House floor Thursday that she had known one of the victims “very well,” since 1992.
“There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide,” the congresswoman said, listing off mass shootings in recent years, including the 2018 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and the 2015 massacre at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Moore noted that some people point to mental illness as a reason.
“There’s mental illness all over the world — but there are not these shootings,” Moore said.
Here are the sons, husbands and fathers who lost their lives in Wednesday’s shooting:
Jesus Valle Jr.
Valle, 33, left behind a wife and two children, his sister in tears told the Associated Press.
Gennady Levshetz
Levshetz, 61, left behind his wife Alina, two children and two grandchildren.
“Gene will be remembered as the best husband, dad, and dede,” read his funeral notice. “He was a kind, caring, and giving person who always put his family’s needs before his own.”
Trevor Wetselaar
Wetselaar, 33, had worked as an engine room operator at Molson Coors since 2018, according to his LinkedIn page. Previously he was a nuclear reactor operator with the U.S. Navy for six years. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009 with a degree in political science, per a post from the chancellor.
Dana Walk
Walk, 57, left behind three children and his wife of 35 years, Dori, according to a funeral notice. The avid fisherman and music fan liked to spend time on the lake and to work on home projects.
“His family will miss Dana’s backseat coaching of the Packers to another Super Bowl,” the notice read.
Dale Hudson
Hudson, 60, grew up in Wisconsin, attending Elkhorn Area High School and Milwaukee Area Technical College, according to his Facebook page. He was married and appeared to enjoy hunting and ice fishing, posting several photos of those activities on social media.