General News
11/6/2009 4:23 PM ET
(RTTNews) -
Police officials in Orlando, Florida, said Friday they have arrested a gunman who opened fire at a downtown office building, killing one person and injuring five others.
According to officials, Jason Rodriguez was arrested at his mother's house on Friday afternoon after he surrendered when asked to do so by the police. Earlier in the day, police had identified Rodriguez as the main suspect for the shooting.
Earlier reports suggested that two people were killed and six others injured when Rodriguez opened fire inside the office of Reynolds Smith & Hills, an architectural engineering firm located at the eighth floor of the 16-story Gateway Center building, around lunchtime.
However, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings told reporters later that only one person was killed in the incident, which also left five others injured. Demnigs said only one gunman was involved in the shooting, who was arrested later "without incident."
It is understood that Rodriguez did architectural work at Reynolds Smith & Hills, before being laid off about a year and a half ago from his job as a part of the firm's cost cutting measures. While his former colleagues said that Rodriguez was not happy with the lay-off, local reports indicated that he filed for bankruptcy in Orlando in September.
Earlier reports suggested that Rodriguez had walked into the office of his former employer on Friday afternoon and opened fire at the employees there. They indicated that many workers were trapped inside the building, with police officials conducting evacuation on a door-by-door basis from the building.
Friday's shooting at the Gateway Center building unfolded less than 24 hours after a gunman opened fire at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, killing 13 people and leaving 31 others wounded.
The shooter at the Fort Hood base on Thursday was identified as Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a US-born Muslim and army psychiatrist. He was shot four times by other military personnel, and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital under armed guard. Reports indicated that Hasan had earlier opposed his imminent deployment to Afghanistan, and wanted to leave the army.
by RTT Staff Writer
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