Ivan Aldergot and Tobias Gleinig fatally shot in Tennessee

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CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) — Two German supervisors at a Tennessee plastics plant were fatally shot Monday by a coworker in the midst of termination proceedings, authorities said, in a workplace violence incident that left the tight-knit community reeling.

Ivan Aldergot, the company's vice president, and Tobias Gleinig, a fellow supervisor, were killed around 10:20 a.m. at Barku Plastics in South Cleveland, about 30 miles north of Chattanooga, Cleveland Police Capt. Evie West said. Both men, who were German citizens, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds at the scene.

The shootings unfolded during a meeting in the plant's office area, where the suspect, 38-year-old Kyle Steven Crandell, an employee facing imminent dismissal, allegedly opened fire. Witnesses, including other staff members who barricaded themselves in a break room, described hearing several shots and shouts before fleeing to safety. One coworker, speaking on condition of anonymity, recounted the chaos: "It was like a nightmare — we locked the door and called 911, praying it would end." No other injuries were reported among the roughly 50 employees on site.

Officers arrived within minutes to find Aldergot and Gleinig deceased. Crandell had fled the facility in a vehicle, prompting a multi-agency manhunt. Tips from the public led police to a residence in nearby Ooltewah around 11:30 a.m., where Crandell holed up, sparking a six-hour standoff involving SWAT teams and negotiators. Attempts to communicate via phone and loudspeaker went unanswered, West said. At approximately 5:45 p.m., authorities breached the home and discovered Crandell dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. No formal charges were filed against him, as the investigation concluded he acted alone, with evidence including shell casings and a handgun recovered at the plant.

The Bradley County Sheriff's Office and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are assisting in the probe, which authorities described as a targeted act stemming from workplace tensions. Crandell's termination process had been underway for weeks over performance issues, though motives remain under review.

Barku Plastics, a subsidiary of Germany's Barku Kunststofftechnik GmbH, halted operations indefinitely, issuing a statement mourning the "senseless act" and vowing support for affected families. Aldergot, a single father of two, had recently relocated his daughter from Germany to attend Cleveland Middle School; he leaves behind a girlfriend and young children. Gleinig, also survived by a local girlfriend, was remembered as a dedicated engineer whose family remains in Germany.

Local reactions poured in swiftly. Cleveland Police Chief Mark Gibson called it "a heartbreaking loss for our community," extending condolences to the victims' loved ones and coworkers. Friends gathered at a vigil outside the plant that evening, sharing stories of the men's warmth — Aldergot as "the kindest soul" who mentored youth soccer, and Gleinig as a avid outdoorsman who bonded with colleagues over hikes. "They came here to build lives, not end them," said one friend, Alex Bratnichenko, fighting tears. Community leaders urged mental health resources for grieving employees, while German officials coordinated consular aid. The incident, the deadliest workplace shooting in Tennessee this year, has reignited debates on employee support systems amid economic pressures in manufacturing hubs like Cleveland.

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