West Chester mass shooting in 2003: Man thought employer poisoned his food, planted bugs inside him

Security guards for Watkins Motor Lines in West Chester hug outside the trucking docks on Nov. 6, 2003, after two people were killed and three others injured in a shooting rampage. TY GREENLEES / STAFF FILE PHOTO

Security guards for Watkins Motor Lines in West Chester hug outside the trucking docks on Nov. 6, 2003, after two people were killed and three others injured in a shooting rampage. TY GREENLEES / STAFF FILE PHOTO

The last time West Chester Twp. saw a mass murder like the one Sunday night was in 2003, when a disgruntled worker shot co-workers at Watkins Motor Trucking.

On Nov. 6, 2003, Tom West, then 50, walked into his former employer, Watkins Motor Lines, 6431 Centre Park Drive, carrying two handguns. He opened fire and then fled the scene.

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He killed two men and injured three more during the shooting rampage. West’s attorneys said he had deep-seated paranoia. They said West believes Watkins was poisoning his food and planting bugs inside him.

He was initially found incompetent to stand trial. West eventually withdrew his initial plea of guilty by reason of insanity to avoid the death penalty by pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated murder and four counts of attempted aggravated murder.

He was was sentenced to life in prison.

The incident came up during West Chester Twp. police chief Joel Herzog’s news conference to discuss the murders of four people inside an apartment on Sunday night.

The three females and one male were family members and lived in the apartment, Herzog said. Police are continuing to search for a possible suspect or suspects in the shooting.

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