Neighbors of Molson Coors gunman in disbelief after shooting: 'He'd give you the shirt off his back'

NOW: Neighbors of Molson Coors gunman in disbelief after shooting: ’He’d give you the shirt off his back’
NEXT:

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Not long after the deadly mass shooting at Molson Coors Wednesday, Feb. 26, Milwaukee police converged on a neighborhood on Milwaukee's north side. 

They went to the home of 51-year-old Anthony Ferrill, who police say shot five co-workers before killing himself. The head of Molson Coors said Ferrill was an active employee of the brewery. 

CBS 58 spoke with neighbors, who said he was not violent and they never dreamed he'd be capable of this. 

People on Potomac Avenue are in utter disbelief that their neighbor could be capable of shooting and killing multiple people. 

"He'd give you the shirt off his back -- that's the kind of person... anything you want he would help you," said Erna Roenspies, who lived next door to Ferrill for about 15 years.

She said he was married with multiple children. 

"We were very close. We were family. Even if they were another color, that didn't stop me," said Roenspies. 

Roenspies said Ferrill collected guns as a hobby and enjoyed putting them together. Other neighbors say they never knew him to be violent, describing him as a "family man."

"He walked his dog up and down the street... and if he'd see me out there he'd always give me a 'hi' sign," said Robert Bruch, who lives nearby. 

Ferrill was a longtime electrician at Molson Coors. 

Roenspies said he was injured at work several years ago, and Ferrill believed his company was spying on him to avoid paying him workers comp. Documents from a civil case he was involved in show he tore his rotator cuff at work in June 2015.

His neighbors also say he worked long hours at the brewery but don't understand what could cause a non-violent man to do this. 

"I thought it was a sad thing because I knew the guy and I don't really know what triggered him to do that," said Bruch. 

CBS 58 was outside Ferrill's house on Potomac Avenue all day Thursday, and the family had not shown up to the home. Multiple neighbors said the family was brought possessions from the home -- including their dog, Wednesday night.

One thing a lot of people are asking is if Ferrill had a criminal record, and it doesn't look like it. 

Wisconsin's online court records only show a traffic citation from 2016 and some civil cases he was involved in. 

He sued an insurance company over a car accident that left him with some back injuries. 

He was married and had three kids, two in their 20's and one middle school-aged. 

He was a licensed industrial journeyman electrician with the state and worked as an electrician at Molson Coors for at least 15 years. 

Documents show he worked 50-plus hours a week.

There are rumors on social media about a motive related to racism and bullying.

Mayor Tom Barrett said it's too early to pinpoint the reason as to why Ferrill did this. 

Share this article: