Police respond to active shooter situation at New Albany factory, raising concerns

05 February 2025 , 07:14

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Police respond to active shooter situation at New Albany factory, raising concerns

Police in New Albany, Ohio, are responding to an active shooter situation at KDC/One which has seen multiple people injured and rushed to hospital, according to alarming reports.

One person has died and multiple people have been rushed to hospital after a mass shooting unfolded in a factory.

Authorities have confirmed an "active shooter situation" at the KDC/One warehouse in New Albany, Ohio, which is five hours behind the UK. At least five people have been shot, according to local media. An alert issued by the City of New Albany reads: "New Albany Police are currently responding to an active shooter situation at KDC/One. It is currently an active scene, and police are locking down the building. Residents should avoid the area."

Cosmetics and toiletries are manufactured at the plant, where employees work throughout the night. Reports of the shooting emerged at just around 10.30pm last night local time.

Local reports earlier said the suspect had been apprehended, though it is now thought they may remain at large. They have not been named, and officers are working to establish a motive. Police said the suspect fled the scene shortly after the shooting. Helicopters continued to circle the area at 1am local time.

A large police presence remained outside the factory early on Wednesday as officers evacuated employees. Writing on social media, one local resident described the scenes as "worrying". Another user, who said they lived one mile away from the factory, said they "can’t sleep" until it is confirmed that the shooter has been found.

Police have urged anyone who can assist in the investigation to get in touch. KDC/One’s LinkedIn page reads: "The KDC/One Columbus facility is one of the foundational members of the KDC/One network and a significant producer of specialty and personal care products."

The facility is just one of 24 manufactures located in the New Albany Beauty Park and has produced more than 1.5 billion units in over 3,000 different SKUs since its opening in 2012. The incident comes less than 24 hours after one person was shot dead in Hamilton during the early hours of Tuesday. Hamilton police said they were alerted of shots being fired on Clovernook Drive at around 5.45am (local time). The shooting took place following an "altercation" between two people that ended with one person being killed, the police added.

Thomas Brown