Knee Injury Put Kennison in Gunman's Path: Ex-Wife

Edwin Kennison went back to work at Hartford Distributors soon after knee surgery because he was bored sitting at home, his ex-wife told the Journal Inquirer.

He was on light duty at Hartford Distributors in Manchester on the morning that officials say Omar Thornton went in a rampage and shot 10 coworkers, killing eight before he killed himself.

Kennison, 49, of East Hartford, is one of the eight who were killed.

“If he’d never hurt his knee, he would never have been in that office in the first place. He was bored at home, so he wanted to go back to work and do what he could,” he former wife, Katherine, told the Inquirer.

Katherine told the Courant that he loved the Yankees, but his biggest love was his daughter.  

"(His daughter" was the love of his life," she said.

On Tuesday evening, members of Kennison’s softball team gathered at a softball field in East Hartford to remember their teammate, the Inquirer reported.

Sam Conover, Kennison’s friend, told the Inquirer that Kennison was an umpire and was New York Yankees’ fan so devoted that he had Yankees-themed tattoos.

Nancy Duffy, of South Windsor, was a friend of Kennison’s since childhood and is one of many grieving his loss.

“I am sad about my friend and pal. Everybody loved him. You just couldn’t help it. He was larger than life. Eddie was the kindest, and most loveable man ever,” she told the newspaper.

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