According to a Connecticut official nine people have died and two were wounded in a shooting at a beer distribution warehouse in Connecticut.

Manchester Police Lt. Joe San Antonio stated the gunman is identified by police as Omar S. Thornton, whose body was found inside the warehouse where the shooting took place.

Police say the two wounded individuals were transported the Hartford Hospital are expected to survive.

Reports are stating that the shooting may have been racially motivated, and that Thornton reportedly told his girlfriend that he had been discriminated against, and that a supervisor did nothing.

The shooting occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. at the Manchester facilities of Hartford Distributors, one of the state’s largest beer and wine distribution companies.  During this time there were about 35 or 40 people in the office and warehouse according to Brett Hollander, director of marketing, whose family founded and owns the company.  Reports state that Steve Hollander, another member of the family, was one of the wounded.

John Hollis, a Teamsters Union official, described Thornton as Thorton as a recent hire who worked as a driver. Hollis stated that “the union was bringing him in to meet with the company to remedy” a “disciplinary problem.”

“He started shooting,” Hollis told the newspaper, adding that he wasn’t sure if the meeting had taken place before the shooting started.

Brett Hollander said most of the workers were in a building across the street when police entered the warehouse where the gunman was located.

San Antonio said that to his knowledge, no officers discharged their weapons.

Rebecca Stewart, spokeswoman from the Hartford Hospital, said the hospital received three victims of the shooting.  One was in critical condition, one in fair, and third was dead.

Shortly after the shooting, a thick column of black smoke could be seen coming from the building. It later turned to white, then stopped as firefighters were on the scene.

According to the State Firearms Bureau reports show that a man named Omar Thornton purchased two firearms in January.