Gerald Walters

Delaware state police have charged a food plant worker with attempted murder and other charges after he shot his supervisor three times while the victim was operating a forklift.

Gerald Walters, 60, is being held at the Sussex Correctional Institute in Georgetown, Delaware while awaiting a preliminary hearing. He was also cited for possession of a firearm during commission of a felony and by a person unauthorised to possess a firearm.

Walters and the unidentified 38-year-old male supervisor had a heated argument during the start of an overnight shift at a Pinnacle Foods plant in Millsboro. Police say Walters threatened the man, left the plant and, about 4:30 am, returned to the facility in an intoxicated condition. He was armed with a .22-calibre handgun, confronted the supervisor, shot him in the upper body and, subsequently, surrendered to police authorities without incident.

Upon being shot, the victim stepped off the forklift and walked to a guard shack where he collapsed. He was flown to a Wilmington, Delaware hospital where he was in a stable condition, conscious, alert and conversing with hospital staff, says Corporal Jeff Whitmarsh, police division media relations officer. The shooting took place 23 May.

The dry foods segment of Pinnacle Foods deals with Vlasic pickles, peppers and relish at the 460,000 square foot (41,400sqm) Millsboro plant.

Affiliates of New York-based asset manager Blackstone Group LP own Pinnacle Foods Finance LLC of Mountain View, New Jersey after a 2007 acquisition. Pinnacle Foods had 2008 sales of USD1.56 billion.