Tribune-Star staff report
SULLIVAN —
A former WTWO employee has a September trial date after appearing in Sullivan Superior Court on Tuesday to face charges of criminal recklessness and criminal mischief.
Kenneth Trey Bolinger, 24, of Farmersburg, was arrested Saturday by Indiana State Police after he allegedly opened fire at the station around 4 a.m. Saturday.
According to his Facebook page, Bolinger worked as master control operator at WTWO from June 21, 2011, to March 26. He was reportedly terminated after he brought a Glock handgun to work, which was against company policy.
Early Saturday, he showed up at the station south of Terre Haute to receive some personal items, and a witness said Bolinger had the handgun with him. He was given his personal items, but was not allowed inside the building, the police report states.
An employee at WTWO reported hearing loud noises after Bolinger left, but the employee said he was unsure what caused the noises. However, another employee who showed up later Saturday noticed gunshot damage to the building.
Investigators found the building had been struck by gunfire five times on the east side of the building, with three rounds hitting the front door. An employee-owned pickup truck parked in the north parking lot also was struck twice by bullets, and a company-owned truck on the west side of the building also was struck twice. An evidence technician recovered five of the nine rounds fired.
ISP obtained a warrant for Bolinger’s arrest and served it at his home Saturday afternoon. He has been charged with class-C felony criminal recklessness, and three counts of class-D felony criminal mischief. A class-C felony carries a prison term of 2 to 8 years. A class-D felony has a sentencing range of 6 months to 3 years in prison.
The gun believed to be used in the incident, along with ammunition, was recovered at Bolinger’s home, police reported.
Bolinger’s bond has been set at $39,000 with 10 percent allowed. A May 21 deadline was set for an attorney to file an appearance. A pretrial conference date of Aug. 24 was also set.
