Police: Kansas shooter had long rap sheet

UPDATE (10:30 a.m.): Police have identified the man who killed three people and wounded 15 others at a lawnmower factory in Kansas as 38-year-old Cedric Ford, a man with a long rap sheet.

In the last 10 years, Ford was convicted in Florida’s Broward and Miami-Dade counties of burglary, grand theft, fleeing from an officer, aggravated fleeing, and carrying a concealed weapon. He served at least some time behind bars, getting out in 2007.

Ford continued to have run-ins with law enforcement in Kansas, getting convicted in 2008 brawling and racking up several traffic violations in 2014 and 2015.

UPDATE (Feb. 26, 8:45 a.m.): Sheriff’s deputies in the town of Hesston, Kan., served a protective order to the man accused of killing three people and wounding 14 others about 90 minutes before he started his shooting rampage.

Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said protective orders usually involve violence in a relationship but would not give any details about the specific situation involving the shooter. The man, who died in a shootout with police, is expected to be identified later today.

After officers served the protective order, the man drove to the Excel Industries factory where he worked. On the way, he shot a man on the street in the nearby town of Newton. Shortly after that he shot another man at an intersection. He shot his third victim in the factory parking lot before walking inside and unleashing a barrage of bullets. Witnesses described the gun as an assault-style rifle.

Of the 14 wounded, 10 sustained critical injuries. Officials say about 150 people were in the factory, which manufactures lawnmowers, at the time of the attack.

Although the man has not been officially identified, police in Newton confirmed he was previously known to law enforcement but would not elaborate on the circumstances.

OUR EARLIER REPORT (Feb. 25, 10:15 p.m.):Kansas law enforcement officials say at least four and possibly as many as seven people are dead after a gunman opened fire at several locations in the small town of Hesston. Between 20 and 30 people were shot during the rampage, which happened at and around a lawn mower manufacturing plant.

The gunman, who has not been identified, was an employee at Excel Industries, but it’s not clear whether he still worked there at the time of the shooting.

The attacker opened fire at the plant, in the parking lot, and at two other locations. Officials believe at one point the man fired at victims from his car. He was later shot and killed, but police have not provided any details about how the rampage ended.

Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton called the shooting “just a horrible incident.”

“There’s going to be a lot of sad people before this is over,” he said during a news conference tonight.

Hesston is a community of 3,700 residents about 35 miles north of Wichita.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.