Friends and family lit candles, walked in circles, and prayed outside the meat processing plant where Lawrence Jones…a felon with an extensive criminal history, shot and killed two co-workers, Tuesday morning. Ofelia Olea is the cousin of 32-year old Salvador Diaz, the first victim shot in the head with a single bullet from a 357-Deringer pistol.
“He liked his job, he liked what he was doing and I know everything was ok. We didn't think anything bad was going to happen,” Olea said.
Olea says her cousin never talked about problems at work. She says he had a violent past and wanted to turn his life around.
“He was a good person, you could go to him and tell him anything, play, be serious to talk to…he was one of the friendliest people you could talk to,” she said.
After shooting Diaz, Jones shot 34-year old Manuel Verdin, also with a single bullet to the head.
Pastor Chris Martinez led the vigil. He was a friend and former co-worker of Verdin's.
Martinez says Verdin worked at the plant with his wife Victoria.
She was at home with their two year old son Manuel Jr. when the shooting happened.
“I was holding his baby earlier and talking to his wife at the same time let them know that everything is going to be okay,” Pastor Martinez said.
The pastor is also praying for the employee who was shot in the neck; and a fourth victim who tried to run when the suspect shot her in the back.
It all came to an end when Jones shot himself in the head... outside of the plant... where loved ones lit candles Wednesday night.
