Police shoot dead Florida bus mechanic after he lay in wait inside depot and executed co-worker with gun pulled from his lunchbox

Florida police shot a bus worker dead after he allegedly laid in wait and executed his co-worker with a gun pulled from his lunchbox in a depot. 

Bodycam footage released by authorities captures the intense shootout between deputies and the suspect at the Broward Transit maintenance facility last Wednesday. 

Rafael A. Molina, 59, allegedly pulled out his gun and fatally shot his co-worker Warren H. Chambers, 42, before officers encountered them at the facility. 

Molina then used a hammer to destroy his cellphone and positioned himself in an ambush position inside a vacant bus, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said during a press conference Friday.

Molina fired six times at the deputies who were running toward the bus, and deputies responded by firing 49 shots back. 

Florida police shot bus worker Rafael A. Molina, 59, dead after he allegedly laid in wait and executed his co-worker with a gun pulled from his lunchbox in a depot

Bodycam footage released by authorities captures the intense shootout between deputies and the suspect at the Broward Transit maintenance facility last Wednesday

Molina, 59, allegedly pulled out his gun and fatally shot his co-worker Warren H. Chambers (pictured), 42, when officers encountered them on the scene

The three deputies involved in the shooting have been identified as Sgt. Noel Mercado, 44, Deputy Joseph Sherbo, 31, and Deputy Richard Delgaudio, 33. 

When deputies arrived at the Broward transit facility shortly after 11.30pm on Wednesday, they were told that a man had been shot and the shooter remained at large. 

 In 911 calls released on Friday, employees who witnessed the shooting can be heard describing the scene to the dispatcher. 

'There's a shooting at my job at Broward Transit at Copans, hurry up please, the guy has a gun, he's shooting,' a witness said during one call. 

'He's still in here, he's still in here, he's walking around, he has a white shirt on, khaki pants, he's walking around, he has the gun in his hand.' 

'He actually shot and killed one of his co-workers prior to the deputies making contact with him,' said sheriff's spokeswoman Veda Coleman Wright. 

The bodycam footage shows one of the deputies rushing into the facility and running towards a bus

Molina used a hammer to destroy his cellphone and positioned himself in an ambush position inside a vacant bus, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony(pictured) said during a press conference Friday

Authorities later said the fatal shooting of the victim, Chambers, stemmed from 'some sort of argument or dispute'. 

'We looked at the video footage, and the suspect, as we can see, is formulating, contemplating, further planning about what his next move was going to be.' 

'We see that the individual goes into a locker room of some sort, he changes out his clothes, he's now in civilian attire, and he's just basically waiting. What we are referencing is ambush him,' Tony said Friday. 

'He removed the firearm from the lunchbox, and then, when the victim comes outside of the room, he executes the victim, firing multiple shots at point blank range, puts the victim down,' said Tony.

The bodycam footage shows one of the deputies rushing into the facility and running towards a bus. 

'We witnessed him pull a hammer out and destroy his cellphone. We witnessed him walk and strategically place himself in an ambush position inside of a bus that was vacant,' said Tony. 

In the video, gun shots can be heard as one of the deputies approached the bus and shouted: ''Hold! Hold! Hold!' 

Chambers was a mechanics at the transit facility who had worked for six years

The three deputies fired 49 shots in total, Tony said, adding that they have been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues

As the gunfire stopped, one deputy yelled: 'He's down!' 

'It's crystal clear he's waiting, he waited for quite some time for his colleague to change out and come out in his clothes and then he shot and executed him,' Tony said. 

The three deputies fired 49 shots in total, Tony said, adding that they have been placed on administrative leave as the investigation continues. 

'I intend to put the Medal of Honor around all three of them, it's the most courageous thing I've seen,' Tony said. 

Both Molina and Chambers were mechanics at the transit facility. Molina had been with the facility for 16 years and Chambers worked for six years.  

The incident occurred at the end of their shift on Wednesday at where the Broward County Transit's buses are serviced and repaired. 

Broward County Mayor Nan Rich said in a statement:  'This is a tragic loss of life. Our Broward County family grieves the loss of these two transit employees.' 

'Let us keep their memories in our thoughts and prayers as we process this terrible loss.'