DETROIT — A disagreement at a Detroit factory late Sunday night escalated into a shooting that left one person dead, according to officials. This incident adds to the increasing cases of workplace violence reported in the U.S. this year.

The shooting took place around 11:30 p.m. on the west side of the city, as reported by the Detroit Police Department. The police informed the Detroit Free Press, part of the YSL News Network, that they are currently examining the situation, which involved two men exchanging gunfire during a confrontation.

Details about the argument or the shooting were not disclosed by the police. The victim has been identified as an employee of Detroit Manufacturing Systems.

“We are devastated and surprised by the tragedy that befell Harmond Ulmer at our facility on the evening of October 6, and we offer our sincerest condolences to his family and friends,” the company stated. “The protection and wellbeing of our employees is our highest priority. We are working closely with local authorities to share all necessary information regarding this isolated incident that involved Mr. Ulmer and an employee from a third-party security firm.”

As reported by WJBK-TV and 7 News Detroit, the victim’s mother, Lacriesa Banks, indicated that a security personnel shot her son following a quarrel regarding a food delivery. She mentioned that her 31-year-old son, who had been employed at Detroit Manufacturing Systems for two years, asked a friend to bring him food during his break because he was hungry.

However, Ulmer’s friend was denied entry at the front gate by a security guard. Following this, Ulmer drove to the gate, and a dispute arose between him and the security officer, which ultimately concluded with gunfire.

Ulmer lost his life in the incident, according to the news stations, while the security guard was taken into custody by police.

Assault ranks as the fifth leading cause of workplace fatalities in the U.S.

This tragic shooting is part of a larger pattern of gun violence both in Detroit and across the United States. Public health professionals, including U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, have labeled gun violence in America as a critical public health crisis.

A report released in September by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions highlighted that gun violence is a “preventable public health tragedy.” The report revealed that over 48,000 individuals lost their lives due to gun violence in 2022, averaging one death every 11 minutes.

Several significant workplace shootings have occurred in the U.S. in recent years. For instance, in May, a former employee fatally shot two and injured three others at a linen company near Philadelphia.

In January 2023, two connected shootings in Half Moon Bay, California, claimed seven lives, which authorities classified as workplace violence. In another case in April 2023, a bank shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, resulted in five fatalities and eight injuries.

In June 2022, three people were killed and three injured, including the gunman, in a manufacturing plant in Maryland. Approximately five months later, a shooter claimed six lives at a Walmart in Virginia, reportedly targeting coworkers.

Assault is noted as the fifth-leading cause of workplace deaths, according to the National Safety Council. The organization reported that between 2021 and 2022, assaults resulted in over 57,600 injuries, with 525 fatalities documented in 2022 alone.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration mentions on its website, “Many American workers report experiencing workplace violence each year. Sadly, many additional cases remain unreported.”

Both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the CDC have indicated that workplace violence can lead to long-lasting effects, both physical and mental.

Following the incident at the Detroit Manufacturing Systems plant, Ulmer’s co-worker, Tamia Banks, expressed to 7 News Detroit that “everyone in the facility is frightened. No one wanted to return to work today.”

Recent Detroit factory shooting adds to a series of deadly incidents in the area

The shooting incident on Sunday follows a string of other violent incidents in the metro Detroit area. On September 15, a gunfight erupted during a tailgate for the Detroit Lions, resulting in the deaths of residents Jalen Welch, 25, and Rayshawn Bryant, 40, at Eastern Market.

Earlier that month, another fatal shooting occurred outside the Michigan State Fair in Novi, a suburb northwest of Detroit.

According to the police, that shooting originated from an argument in a parking lot, leading to chaos among attendees and resulting in the death of a 14-year-old boy, while another 14-year-old was injured.