Associated Press
Dispatcher: State police.
Thornton: Is this 911?
Dispatcher: Yeah, can I help you?
Thornton: This is Omar Thornton, the uh, the shooter over in Manchester.
Dispatcher: Yes, where are you, sir?
Thornton: I’m in the building. Uh, you probably want to know the reason why I shot this place up. This place right here is a racist place.
Dispatcher: Yup, I understand that.
Thornton: They’re treating me bad over here. And treat all other black employees bad over here, too. So I took it to my own hands and handled the problem. I wish I could have got more of the people.
Dispatcher: Yeah. Are you armed, sir? Do you have a weapon with you?
Thornton: Oh yeah, I’m armed.
Dispatcher: How many guns do have with you?
Thornton: I got one now. There’s one out, one out in the uh, in the uh, factory there.
Dispatcher: Yep. OK, sir.
Thornton: I’m not going to kill nobody else though.
Dispatcher: Yeah. We’re going to have to have you surrender yourself somehow here and not make the situation any worse. You know what I mean?
Thornton: These cops are going to kill me.
Dispatcher: No, they’re not. We’re just going to have to get you to relax ...
Thornton: I’m relaxed. I’m calmed down.
Dispatcher: ... to have you, you know, turn yourself over.
Thornton: (Unintelligible) I hear the cops are already in there. Make sure you say the right thing. Hey, the SWAT team just rolled by in Army gear. They don’t know where I’m at. But I don’t know, maybe you can trace this from this phone call. But yeah, these people here are crazy. And they treat me bad from when I started here. Racist company. Treat me bad. I’m the only black they’ve already got here. They treat me bad over here, treat me bad all the time.
Dispatcher: It’s a horrible situation, I understand that.
Thornton: Hey don’t try to calm me down. I’m already calmed down. I’m not going to kill nobody else. I just want to tell my story to you, so you can play it back anyway.
Dispatcher: OK. You’re going to help me get you out of the building, OK?
Thornton: Alright. I’m good. (Unintellgible) I got that taken care of. I don’t need anyone to talk me into getting out of the building.
Dispatcher: Where in the building are you?
Thornton: I’m not going to tell you that. When they find me that’s when everything is going to be over.
Dispatcher: Yeah. Where are you located? Are you up in the offices?
Thornton: When they find me everything will be alright. (Expletive) Manchester itself is a racist place.
Dispatcher: Yeah. Now, um, what time did you get there today?
Thornton: About 7 o’clock.
Dispatcher: This morning?
Thornton: Yeah, about 7 a.m. Yeah, they told me to come early today.
Dispatcher: What kind of weapon do you have?
Thornton: I got a Ruger SR9.
Dispatcher: A Ruger? SR9?
Thornton: Automatic, yeah.
Dispatcher: Is it a rifle?
Thornton: Nah, it’s a pistol. (Unintelligible) are two of my favorites.
Dispatcher: Now, uh, you’re going to make, uh, the troopers and the people come in and, uh, catch you? You’re not going to surrender yourself?
Thornton: Well, I guess maybe on Thursday. Nah! They’re coming to get me. They gotta come get me.
Dispatcher: Yeah, we wouldn’t want to do it like that, Omar. You know, it’s already been a bad enough scene this morning. We want you to relax.
Thornton: I’m relaxed. I’m calmed down.
Dispatcher: We don’t want any more, any more, uh, people, you know, to lose their life here.
Thornton: I’m not going to kill nobody else.
Dispatcher: OK.
Thornton: I’m not coming out of where I’m at. I’m not coming out. They have to find me. Probably bring some dogs, or whatever, I don’t know what they do.
Dispatcher: How much ammunition do you have with you?
Thornton: I got, uh, a lot of shots left. Uh-oh.
Dispatcher: What’s that?
Thornton: It’s alright. I guess this is (unintelligible) where I have to take care of business. Tell my people I love them and I got to go now.
Dispatcher: Omar, I really want you to help me stop this situation, OK?
Thornton: OK.
Dispatcher: If you work with me we’ll get this to stop, OK? Omar. Ooh! Omar. Omar. OK, he’s still alive.