HESSTON, Kan. -- A man who stormed into a Kansas factory where he worked and shot more than a dozen people, killing three, had just been served with a protective order involving a former girlfriend that probably set off the attack, authorities said Friday.
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The assault Thursday at the Excel Industries lawnmower parts plant in Hesston, a town of 3,700 about 35 miles north of Wichita, ended when the police chief killed the gunman in a shootout.
The gunman was identified as Cedric Ford, a 38-year-old plant worker and was armed with an assault-style rifle and a pistol.
Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton described the officer as a "tremendous hero" because 200 or 300 people were still in the factory and the "shooter wasn't done by any means."
"Had that Hesston officer not done what he did, this would be a whole lot more tragic," Walton said.
The officer was not injured.
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback said preliminary information indicated that the officer was Hesston Police Chief Doug Schroeder, who did not wait for backup and "seized the situation."
Authorities identified the dead as Brian Sadowsky, 44, of Newton; Josh Higbee, 31, of Buhler; and 30-year-old Renee Benjamin, whose hometown was unavailable.
While driving to the factory, the gunman shot a man on the street, striking him in the shoulder. A short time later, he shot someone else in the leg at an intersection, authorities said.
The suspect shot one person in the factory parking lot before opening fire inside the building, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
At least 16 people were taken to hospitals, and one person was listed in critical condition.
On Friday evening, a woman was charged with giving Ford a semi-automatic rifle similar to an AK-47 and a Glock .40-caliber handgun.
Sarah T. Hopkins, 28, was in jail awaiting a court appearance Monday. A phone call to a number listed for her was not answered. Court records did not indicate whether she has an attorney.
According to an affidavit, Hopkins lived with Ford in nearby Newton before moving out in July. Newton police later met her at the home so she could retrieve the weapons, which she had purchased. Hopkins told officers Friday that she gave the weapons to Ford in August because he had threatened her.
Hopkins and Ford had a 2-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, according to a report in The Wichita Eagle that cited a paternity case in Harvey County last year. She is not the same woman who sought the order of protection.
Ford had several convictions in Florida over the past decade. His prior offenses included burglary, grand theft, fleeing from an officer, aggravated fleeing and carrying a concealed weapon, all from Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Federal law bars felons from possessing firearms.
According to The Wichita Eagle, Ford also had criminal cases in Harvey County, including a misdemeanor conviction in 2008 for fighting or brawling and various traffic violations from 2014 and 2015.
Authorities on Friday said Ford had a history of domestic violence, including an arrest in nearby Newton in November 2008 for felony battery and disorderly conduct. He also was arrested in July 2010, for driving while intoxicated and obstruction.
Ford also was required to take an anger-management class in Harvey County in 2008 after he was convicted of disorderly conduct. The Hutchinson News reports court records show he completed the course.
A Facebook page under the name of a Cedric Ford employed at Excel Industries includes photos posted within the past month of a man posing with a long gun and another of a handgun in a man's lap in a car.
Recent posts also include music videos of rappers from Miami, photos of cars and pictures posted in January of a trip to a zoo with children.
Walton said his office served Ford with the protection-from-abuse order about 3:30 p.m., roughly 90 minutes before the first shooting happened. He said such orders are usually filed because there's some type of violence in a relationship. He did not disclose the nature of the relationship in question.
A judge issued a temporary order of protection earlier this month for a former girlfriend who said in her petition that Ford was a violent, depressed alcoholic.
"It's my belief he is in desperate need of medical and psychological help!" she wrote.
The ex-girlfriend, who indicated on court documents that she had lived with Ford, said she and Ford were arguing on Feb. 5 when he grabbed her, placed her in a chokehold from behind and took her to the ground.
On Thursday, Ford left work early without explanation before returning hours later with a rifle, according to a co-worker.
Dennis Britton Jr. was inside the building and suffered a fracture in his right leg when a bullet went through his buttocks and out his leg.
Information for this article was contributed by P. Solomon Banda, John Hanna and Heather Hollingsworth of The Associated Press.
A Section on 02/27/2016