Employee injured in South Carolina workplace shooting dies

One of two people struck in a workplace shooting in South Carolina last week has died, the coroner in Anderson County confirmed.

The deceased was identified as Iain Samuel Peare, 24, from Belton, the county coroner’s office said in a statement. The suspect, said to be a former employee, also died when he shot himself at the location, the coroner said previously.

Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride said the other victim suffered only a graze wound during the attack. NBC affiliate WYFF of Greenville reported that the weapon used was an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle.

Authorities told the station that the shooter and the company had parted ways just a day or two before the attack.

The 10:30 p.m. violence April 5 happened at a industrial piping plant in unincorporated Anderson County operated by a German firm called Fraenkische, authorities said.

The shooter opened fire on employees as many fled to a nearby restaurant called Tipsy Tavern, Sheriff Chad McBride said at a press conference the night of the violence.

Authorities said about 30 workers were at the location as gunfire erupted. McBride said that by the time deputies arrived, the shooter had already turned a gun on himself.

April 6, 202201:12

The worst of the victims, Peare, was struck in the head and put on life support at a nearby AnMed Health facility, the Coroner Greg Shore said by email.

He was pronounced at 3:26 p.m. Sunday, the coroner’s office said.

Frauke Barnofsky, spokesman for Frankische, said in a statement provided to WYFF, “We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

The company is providing assistance to those employees impacted by the attack, and it is cooperating with authorities looking into the cause of the violence, Barnofsky said.

The shooting remained under investigation by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and coroner’s officials.

The shooter was identified by the coroner’s office as Bruce Vandermosten Jr. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.