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Cambridge Workplace Shooting Leaves 1 Hurt, Gunman Dead

A man recently fired from his job at a Massachusetts business shot at and injured a former co-worker on Thursday morning before killing himself, authorities said.

The shooter parked in a nearby lot and waited for the victim to arrive at the Cambridge business before ambushing him outside with a 12-guage pump action shotgun at about 7:45 a.m., Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.

The victim played a role in the decision to fire the shooter months ago, the prosecutor said.

"He appears to have been waiting in his car for this particular individual," she said.

The 58-year-old victim used his briefcase to shield his head and was struck in the face by debris that flew off the brick building. He was not struck by gunfire, even though he was fired on at close range. The man was treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

The shooter, apparently interrupted by other people arriving for work, returned to his car and turned the gun on himself. Authorities later identified him as Kermit Hooks Jr., 70, of Framingham.

The name of the company was not released. There are multiple tenants in the building.

The shooting occurred at Third and Charles streets, across from a child's playground and two blocks from a shopping mall.

This article was originally published on April 07, 2016.

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