Tragedy at Barku Plastics: Two Workers, Including Company VP, Killed in Shooting

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF) — Cleveland Police responded to reports of gunfire at Barku Plastics just after 10 a.m. Monday morning.

When officers arrived, they found two men dead inside the building — both employees of the company.

Investigators later identified the victims as Tobias Gleinig, the vice president of Barku Plastics, and Ivan Aldergot, another worker at the plant.

Police said the suspected shooter fled the scene in a vehicle, which was later found at a home in Bradley County, outside Cleveland city limits. That discovery triggered a SWAT standoff as law enforcement surrounded the residence.

Cleveland Police Captain Evie West said officers were taking every precaution to ensure the area remained safe.

“We are taking every precaution possible to make sure that this area is safe and secure for the residents that are around this area,” West said. “We are going to be operating in this area until the suspect is taken into custody.”

Captain West said multiple agencies assisted during the operation, including the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and other local and state partners.

“We are at Samples Baptist Church,” West said. “We are working with the agencies I just named and conducting a SWAT operation to make contact with the suspect who we believe is barricaded inside his residence.”

Cleveland Police say the investigation remains ongoing and that they are awaiting confirmation from the Medical Examiner’s Office to identify the suspect.