there certainly is a great deal of stress in this industry - I find many auto parts guys are always crabby and impatient. I thnk I'm gonna start carrying my 9 mm again.

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CHICAGO (Aug. 27) - A gunman on the verge of losing his job opened fire at an auto parts warehouse Wednesday, killing six people, authorities said. The attacker also was killed, hospital officials said.

Authorities got a call at about 8:45 a.m. that a person had been shot - possibly by a co-worker at the Windy City Core Supply Inc., police spokesman Pat Camden said. He said police fired shots as they entered the South Side building.

''A disgruntled employee who had either been terminated or was going to be terminated returned to the business, and that's where the shooting took place,'' Camden said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said seven people died.

The gunman was among two people pronounced dead at John H. Stroger Hospital, Stroger spokesman Tony Ewell said.

It was not immediately clear whether the gunman was shot by police or had shot himself, Camden said.

Camden said police and the man exchanged gunfire inside and outside the building. Police tried to negotiate with the man but he refused, Camden said.

Al Martinez, owner of a business about a half block from the shooting scene, said he was at work when he heard the sound of gunfire.

''We saw a guy shooting at police officers outside the building and saw people running around like crazy,'' said Martinez, who owns Midway Pallets. ''We came and saw all the cops running, hiding behind cars.''

All buildings within a block of the auto parts and supply store were evacuated.

AP-NY-08-27-03 1426EDT

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