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Nine dead in Connecticut workplace gun rampage

Workers and family of workers from Hartford Distributors The shooting happened in the morning as workers were changing shifts

A worker at a beer distribution firm in the US state of Connecticut has opened fire on colleagues killing eight of them before turning the gun on himself.

At least two people were also injured.

The shooting happened at Hartford Distributors in the town of Manchester, about 10 miles (16km) east of Hartford.

According to local media reports the man, a driver for the company, went on the shooting rampage after being asked to resign from his job during a disciplinary hearing.

"There were nine individuals, including the suspect, who were killed during the shooting," Manchester police said in a statement. "We are presently in the process of trying to identify the victims and make notifications to family members."

Two wounded people were taken to a local hospital and are "expected to survive", the statement added.

The incident happened on Tuesday morning as workers were changing shifts.

Bret Hollander, an executive at the company, says 50 to 70 people were inside the building when the shooting occurred.

"There was a guy that was supposed to, was asked to resign, to come in to resign and chose not to and shot my cousin and my co-workers," Brett Hollander told the Associated Press news agency. He said his cousin had been injured.

The gunman had worked for the firm for a couple of years and had been summoned to a disciplinary hearing, said John Hollis, of the Connecticut Teamsters.

He refused to say why the gunman had had to attend the hearing.

There was also a fire at the warehouse, the AP reported, although it is not known whether it was connected to the shooting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10858000