Worker charged with homicide in deadly shooting at linen company near Philadelphia

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Onlookers stand near the scene of a fatal shooting at Delaware County Linen, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Chester, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. (Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

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Chester Mayor Stefan Roots speaks with members of the media near the scene of a fatal shooting at Delaware County Linen, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Chester, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. (Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

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A police officer walks the scene of a fatal shooting at Delaware County Linen, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Chester, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb. (Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

By BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI

A deadly shooting at a linen company near Philadelphia was apparently spurred by an ongoing dispute the gunman had with a female colleague, authorities said Thursday.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said Wilbert Rosado-Ruiz, 61, has been charged with several counts including homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. He was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, Stollsteimer said. It wasn’t yet known whether he has retained an attorney.

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The charges stem from a shooting Wednesday at Delaware County Linen in Chester, a city about 18 miles (29 kilometers) south of Philadelphia. Stollsteimer said two brothers — Leovanny Pena Pena and Giguenson Pena Pena, who both worked at the company — were killed, while three other workers — including the woman involved in the dispute — were wounded and remained hospitalized Thursday.

Authorities said it’s not clear what spurred the dispute between the shooter and his female colleague.

Rosado-Ruiz and the woman had a verbal argument inside the business and he then went outside to make a phone call, Stollsteimer said. Rosado-Ruiz then went back inside and started shooting, and was seen on surveillance video “methodically” walking around the floor of the building.

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As Rosado-Ruiz was leaving the building, he spotted the wounded woman nearby and shot at her again, Stollsteimer said, but she apparently was not hit by any of those shots. He then drove off but was soon taken into custody by an officer from nearby Trainer, who had heard the vehicle description and stopped the car at a location in Chester, not far from where Rosado-Ruiz lives.

Rosado-Ruiz legally owned the gun that was used in the shooting, but he will face a weapons count because he did not have a license to carry a concealed weapon.

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This story has been corrected to show the last name of the two brothers killed was Pena Pena, not Pena, as per district attorney’s office.