d: 2000
Summary
Name:
Kenneth TornesYears Active:
1996Status:
DeceasedClass:
Mass MurdererVictims:
5Method:
ShootingDeath:
April 09, 2000Nationality:
USAd: 2000
Summary: Mass Murderer
Name:
Kenneth TornesStatus:
DeceasedVictims:
5Method:
ShootingNationality:
USADeath:
April 09, 2000Years Active:
1996Date Convicted:
April 3, 1998Kenneth Tornes was born in 1934. He grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. Little is known about his early years and childhood. He became a firefighter and worked for the Jackson Fire Department. Tornes had been a firefighter for about eight years, and during this time, he sometimes expressed anger towards his superiors.
His life began to change when he faced personal challenges. Kenneth Tornes went through a troubled marriage with Glenda Washington Tornes. They eventually became estranged. This period was hard for him, and it was known that he had serious problems with authority.
He was described by some of his colleagues as a gentleman, but he would become upset when discussing the chiefs of the fire department. There were ongoing issues between firefighters and their supervisors. Tornes' frustration grew over time, and some of his coworkers described him as a "time bomb waiting to go off."
Leading up to April 24, 1996, he had been under pressure both at work and at home.
On April 24, 1996, Kenneth Tornes killed his estranged wife, Glenda Washington Tornes. After the shooting, he went to the Jackson Central Fire Station where he targeted fire department supervisors. Armed with an assault rifle, Tornes shot and killed four supervisors: Captain Stan Adams, District Chief Dwight Craft, Captain Merideth Moree, and District Chief Rick Robbins. He also wounded two others.
After the attack at the fire station, Tornes fled, leading police on a high-speed chase through downtown Jackson. The chase ended at a parking lot of a shopping center, where Tornes engaged in a shootout with police. During this confrontation, he was shot in the left eye. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors removed the bullet from his eye.
Tornes was arrested on the same day as the shootings. He faced multiple charges, including four counts of capital murder and one count of murder for the death of his wife. After several court proceedings, he was sentenced to death on April 3, 1998. Tornes died in prison on April 9, 2000, due to a blood clot.
