The owner of Fresno Equipment Co. credits four employees with stopping a shooting spree by a mechanic who killed a co-worker at the Malaga business before taking his own life Tuesday.
"They told him to stop, not to make it any worse," Fresno Equipment Co. owner Steve Vucovich said Wednesday.
Jim Badasci, 46, of Fresno walked into the shop at the farm equipment sales and repair business shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday and killed another mechanic, Ralph Wallis, 33, also of Fresno. Armed with a shotgun, Badasci also fired at equipment in the shop.
About a dozen employees fled, but Vucovich said four employees -- whom he declined to name -- confronted Badasci.
Badasci stopped shooting and shortly afterward took his own life, Vucovich said.
Ralph Wallis, 33, of Fresno was shot and killed by a co-worker at Fresno Equipment Co. in Malaga.
Jim Badasci, 46, of Fresno shot and killed a co-worker at a Malaga business, then took his own life.
Fresno County sheriff's dispatch received a call from the business of shots fired at 8:57 a.m. Deputies arrived at 9:03 a.m. and found Wallis and Badasci shot. Vucovich said he was not aware of any problem between the two men. "In my mind, Ralph was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.
Sheriff's spokesman Chris Curtice said investigators are trying to determine Badasci's motive and whether Wallis was his intended target, "or if anyone was targeted."
Meanwhile, friends and family of the two men are trying to sort out why the shooting happened.
Michael Von Flue of Kingsburg, a former Fresno Equipment employee, said he trained Badasci when Badasci came to work there. "He was a good guy," Von Flue said. "I've never seen him get mad or lose control."
Von Flue said Badasci complained about work when they spoke about two weeks before the shooting, but "he wasn't mad like he was going to do something."
Vucovich described Wallis and Badasci as "both very nice guys." Badasci worked at the business for 10 years and Wallis was hired about five months ago, Vucovich said.
"We've expressed our heartfelt grief to the families, and we're working with them," Vucovich said.
Sheriff Mims talks about shooting
Wallis grew up in Fresno, but he and his parents recently lived in Illinois, said friend Brian Hansen of Fresno. Authorities on Tuesday had reported his hometown was Madera.
Hansen met Wallis several years ago when Wallis repaired trucks for Hansen's plumbing business. Wallis stayed with Hansen after moving back to Fresno several months ago.
Wallis hadn't said anything about problems at work or with Badasci, Hansen said. "I think it was random," he said of the shooting.
Dave Wallis, 43, said he and his brothers James, 39, and Ralph "were real car guys" growing up in Fresno. "We were all real close. We spent a lot of time together. We restored old cars and went to car shows."
Ralph Wallis drove a Roush Mustang, a high-performance street car.
"He was a great guy. He's going to be very missed," Dave Wallis said. His brother was single and devoted to family and friends, he said. Their parents came to Fresno on Wednesday.
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