Jury Rejects Insanity Defense of Gunman

A man who shot his way into a Ford Motor Co. assembly plant, killing one person and wounding several others, was found guilty of first-degree murder by jurors who rejected his insanity defense. The Oakland County Circuit Court jury in Pontiac found Gerald Atkins, 31, guilty on 24 other counts in the November 1996 shooting spree and 4 1/2-hour standoff with police at Ford’s Wixom Assembly Plant. Atkins’ defense attorney did not dispute he did the shooting, but argued Atkins was delusional, believing plant management was responsible for his rejection by a female plant worker. Atkins faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole.