Man charged in office shooting
A 61-year-old man was charged with first-degree murder after allegedly opening fire at his former employer’s office Christmas party in Vancouver, killing one man, police said.
Constable Tim Fanning said Eric Allen Kirkpatrick, who had recently been fired from his job, is accused of fatally shooting Benjamin David Banky, 40. Fanning said at least a dozen people were at the party when the gunman entered about 4 p.m. All but Kirkpatrick escaped without injury. The business where the shooting took place is listed as TallGrass Distribution Ltd., a natural health product supplier.
“Police locked down the neighborhood and negotiated with the suspect, who gave himself up to police just after 6 p.m.,” Fanning said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
