Raw audio: Omar Thornton 911 call

(NECN: Manchester, Conn.) - Omar Thornton called 911 after shooting 10 of his co-workers at Hartford Distributors in Manchester, Connecticut Tuesday.


He told the 911 operator that it was a "racist place" and had to take matters into his own hands.

Omar Thornton's girlfriend says he was harassed at work with racial slurs, and drawings on a bathroom wall.

Transcript of 911 call:

Thornton: This is Omar Thornton, the shooter, over in Manchester.
911: Yes. Where are you, sir?
Thornton: I'm in the building. You probably want to know the reason why I shot this place up. This place is a racist place.

911: Yup, I understand that.
Thornton: They treat me bad over here. They treat all the black employees bad over here too. So I took it into my own hands and handled the problem. I wish I could have gotten more people.

911: Yeah. Are you armed, sir? Do you have a weapon with ya?
Thornton: Oh, yeah I'm armed.
911: How many guns do you have with ya?
Thornton: I'm got one now. There's one that's out in the factory there.
911: OK, sir...

Thornton: I'm not going to kill anybody else though.
911: Yeah. We're going to have you surrender yourself somehow here. Not make the situation any worse, you know what I mean?
Thornton: These cops are going to kill me.

911: No, they're not. We're just going to have to get you to relax.
Thornton: I'm black, just calm down.
911: You know, to have yourself turn yourself over.

Thornton: Manchester itself is a racist place.

911: Omar.
Thornton: Yeah?
911: I really want you to help me stop the situation, OK?

Thornton: OK.
911: If you work with me, we'll get this to stop, OK? Omar! Omar!
Other voice: He's still alive.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NECN
• 911
• Omar Thornton
• Manchester
• Connecticut
• Hartford Distributors