***UPDATE***
ORLANDO, Fla. – A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago. At least six people were hurt and police were searching for a gunman in a sport utility vehicle.
People streamed out of the 16-story Legion Place office building around lunchtime and some told local television stations they had barricaded themselves inside their offices.
Orlando Fire Department District Chief Michael Droege said an unknown number of people were still in the building and could be injured. He said the SWAT team was trying to pull people out.
"The building is not secure now," he said. "It's still unfolding."
Orlando police spokeswoman Barbara Jones identified the gunman as Jason Rodriguez, 40, and said he might be in a 2002 silver Nissan SUV with license plate D119UX. She said he used to work at the building but did not say where or when he left.
"I would consider him armed and dangerous," Jones said. She said at least five people were taken to a hospital and another had chest pains but did not go to the hospital. Orlando Regional Medical Center said four people were being treated in the emergency department.
She confirmed witnesses told police the shooting started at Reynolds Smith & Hill, a transportation engineering consulting firm in the building.
Company spokesman Mike Bernof told CNN all the people shot were in the firm's office. He could not say if any died.
Rodriguez, an engineer, was released in June 2007 for performance issues, Bernof said. He could not say why. The firm performs transportation engineering work with the Florida Department of Transportation.
Gerry Gilgo, who works on the floor where the shooting occurred, told The Associated Press she was meeting a co-worker at the elevators for lunch.
"She yelled, 'There are gunshots! There are gunshots! Get back in your office,'" Gilgo said.
Will Halpern, an attorney works on the building's 17th floor, was among the last group to be evacuated. He said the lobby was filled with about 20 officers in SWAT gear, carrying assault weapons, ready to search.
Interstate 4 was closed in both directions through downtown and nearby schools were locked down.
Rows of ambulances lined up outside the building as police snipers took up positions around the building and officers on foot and horseback searched the area.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Police have surrounded a Florida high-rise after gun shots were reportedly fired. The Legions Place office building in downtown Orlando was ordered on lockdown Friday afternoon as officers began a floor-by-floor evacuation. It was not immediately known whether anyone was hurt. A police spokeswoman didn't immediately return a phone call or e-mail. Source: Yahoo! News
Alexander Wang
I'm glad I was down there.....last week. I-4 is a parking lot.
1What in the world is going on in peoples minds yesterday and today? Take a darn vacation away from the people you begin to hate. Don't shoot them to death.
1 person is dead and 7 others have been shot. Rodriguez, the shooter, is alive and out on the loose.
Rodriguez worked for an architectural engineering firm Reynolds, Smith and Hill. Someone said that he was fired 2 years ago and that the economy was possibly getting to him and the stress of being fired by his own.
That does not make me feel sorry for Rodriguez at all. The economy is getting to millions of people, and they don't whine all day they look for work. They don't rob who they can and they sure as hell don't go out shooting anyone.
2I don't think anyone wants people to feel sorry for the shooters.
3It's possible to be angry with and want to punish a person's wicked behavior while still having some understanding that people have different breaking points.
Oh I agree and that's not what I'm saying
I can't think of anyone who might want
others to feel sorry for them.
I just hope at this moment that we don't have another incident like this (a killing of this level) again tomorrow. Two days in a row is enough.
Oh, and they just found the suspect hiding at his mothers home. So now he's alive and now in custody. Thank goodness!
4Glad they found him. Have to admit, I'm fighting the urge to go lock our office doors.
5It's ashame that people have to feel so threaten nowadays, at work.
6I feel like I just want to lock myself in my house....people are obviously losing their minds lately!
7Lots of stress and lots of guns.
8Why so much literal hate? Can't we just agree to disagree or leave people alone that we can't stand. There is no need for such drastic measures to prove a personal point.
9Yes, times are hard but why make it worse...why add other lives into your insanity?
Well, I guess I just answered my own question...it's insanity.
10How terrible.
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