Suspect Lillie Wilson (L), Victim Latange Long (R)
PINE BLUFF, Ark. (KTHV) - It's been a week of beefed-up security and support at a Pine Bluff company after a fatal workplace shooting there on Monday.
Central Moloney Incorporated has done everything from providing chaplains on the plant floor to new security detail from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. A company spokesman says they are doing all they can to help employees cope with the unthinkable.
"I thought it would be a good chance for me to give them a chance to cool down and maybe strike up a conversation with them," Tim Bias said.
Tim Bias heads into the components plant at Central Moloney. He's armed with cool drinks and more.
"When this happened, I've been here as much as I possibly could," Bias said.
Bias is one of the company's chaplains working overtime since Monday's fatal shooting inside the plant between two co-workers. Police say 49-year-old Lillie Foots-Wilson shot and killed 34-year-old Latange Long.
"The best thing that I can do is just listen to them, just kind of read the room so to speak and just let them talk," Bias said.
He's also meeting workers privately and leading prayer circles while sheriff deputies parked outside patrol inside.
"The off-duty deputies are literally walking the aisles of the plant, they are here interacting with people as well and some of them are getting stopped and talked too," Chris Hart said.
Company Spokesman Chris Hart says they're giving workers a break too if they need some time off, knowing full well getting back to normal here will take time.
"The truth is this, in a situation like this, I wouldn't expect them to be going about business as usual," Hart said.
"This morning I was talking to a woman who was feeling a real sense of loss, so it's a road and I just want to help them walk that road together," Bias said.
The company is also locking main doors right now and conducting an internal investigation into this fatal shooting.
Hart says that the Human Resources office was only aware of what he called "squabbles" between the two workers involved in the shooting. Hart says those were not considered serious enough for any intervention or discipline. He still says the company plans a thorough review of the case to see if anything could have prevented this.
Today's THV was also able to read a police affidavit on this case at the Jefferson County Prosecutor's office Friday. In the document, the suspect reported ongoing harassment by the victim leading up to the shooting. And said she tried to report it to supervisors several times but never got a response. The victim's brother told us that he'd never heard of the suspect and that working at Central Moloney was a dream job for her sister.