Updated at 4 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, authorities said, killing one person and injuring five others. Jason Rodriguez, 40, surrendered about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother's home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said. Asked by a reporter outside the police station why he did it, he replied: "Because they left me to rot." Demings said Rodriguez brought a handgun to the firm in a downtown office tower where he once worked as an engineer, but investigators are not sure what his motive was. "This is a tragedy, no doubt about it, especially on the heels of the tragedy in Fort Hood that is on our minds," Demings said. "I'm just glad we don't have any more fatalities or any more injuries than we currently have." Charles W. Price, an attorney who represented Rodriguez in a bankruptcy case, declined to comment. Camille Previlon told The Associated Press her uncle, engineer Guy Lungenbel, was shot in the back and was able to talk but had not said much about the shooting. "He is stable," she said. "He's just hurting real bad in the back." Everyone who was shot was in the offices of Reynolds Smith & Hills, on the eighth floor. The five survivors were in stable condition, Demings said. A somber Gov. Charlie Crist visited some of the wounded at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Friday afternoon. "They're obviously traumatized," he said. "At the same time, I was impressed with their spirit and strength." He said he was thankful the shooting was not worse and said the victims "felt very lucky and blessed to be alive." Reynolds Smith & Hills spokesman Mike Bernos said Rodriguez was an entry-level engineer who was fired in June 2007 after working there for a year. "His performance wasn't up to our standards, so we terminated him," Bernos said. There had been no contact between the company and Rodriguez since then. After the lunchtime shooting, some people streamed out of the Legion Place building while others holed up in their offices. A major highway was closed and nearby schools were locked down. Greg Cross, who works in a real estate office on the 12th floor, said he and his co-workers barricaded themselves inside after hearing about the gunman on television. "We were terrified," he said. "We locked the door and put a filing cabinet in front of the door and just waited." Mark Vella, who works in a different office on the same floor, said he and five co-workers also pulled a filing cabinet in front of their door. They prayed and talked about what to do if the gunman showed up. "It was a little scary, a little unnerving," Vella said. "We were afraid the guy was still in the building and making the rounds." ------ Associated Press writers Travis Reed, Kelli Kennedy, Jennifer Kay, Laura Wides-Munoz, David Fischer and Damian Grass in Miami; Antonio Gonzalez, Mitch Stacy and Tamara Lush in Orlando; and Christine Armario in Tampa contributed to this report. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Updated 2:30 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- A gunman opened fire Friday in the offices of an engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, authorities said, killing one person and injuring five others.
Jason Rodriguez, 40, surrendered about three hours later, after officers saw him through the window of his mother's home and asked him to come outside, Orlando Police Chief Val Demings said.
Asked by a reporter outside the police station why he did it, he replied: "Because they left me to rot."
Demings said Rodriguez brought a handgun to the firm in a downtown office tower where he once worked as an engineer, but investigators are not sure what his motive was.
"This is a tragedy, no doubt about it, especially on the heels of the tragedy in Fort Hood that is on our minds," Demings said. "I'm just glad we don't have any more fatalities or any more injuries than we currently have."
Charles W. Price, an attorney who represented Rodriguez in a bankruptcy case, declined to comment.
Camille Previlon told The Associated Press her uncle, engineer Guy Lungenbel, was shot in the back and was able to talk but had not said much about the shooting.
"He is stable," she said. "He's just hurting real bad in the back."
Everyone who was shot was in the offices of Reynolds Smith & Hill, on the eighth floor. The five survivors were in stable condition, Demings said.
Company spokesman Mike Bernos said Rodriguez was an entry-level engineer who was fired in June 2007 after working there for a year.
"His performance wasn't up to our standards, so we terminated him," Bernos said. There had been no contact between the company and Rodriguez since then.
After the lunchtime shooting, people streamed out of the Legion Place building and some said they had barricaded themselves inside their offices while the gunman was on the loose.
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 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 until the alleged gunman was caught.
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.
------
Associated Press writers Travis Reed, Kelli Kennedy, Jennifer Kay, Laura Wides-Munoz, David Fischer and Damian Grass in Miami; Antonio Gonzalez, Mitch Stacy and Tamara Lush in Orlando; and Christine Armario in Tampa contributed to this report.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Updated at 1:30 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Police in Orlando say a gunman has been apprehended after killing one person and injuring five others at a downtown office building where he was let go two years ago.
Police Chief Val Demings says 40-year-old Jason Rodriguez surrendered to police at his mother's home after officers saw him through a window and asked him to come out.
She confirms that one person was killed in the shooting at the Legion Place office building downtown. Five others were hurt.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Updated at 12:45 p.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Officials searched Friday for a gunman who opened fire in a downtown office building. At least eight people were hurt. People streamed out of the high-rise 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 still 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. "I would consider him armed and dangerous," Jones said. She said multiple people were hurt but she could not say how many. She said five people were taken to the hospital and another had chest pains but did not go to the hospital. 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 gun shots! There are gun shots! 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 the building. The Orlando Fire Department told WESH-TV that at least eight people were injured. 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. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Posted at 11:45 a.m.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Police are searching for a gunman who injured at least eight people at a downtown Orlando, Fla., office building.
People are streaming out of the building and some say they have barricaded themselves inside their offices.
Orange County Sheriff's Spokesman Jim Solomons says his department is backing up Orlando police and they're still looking for an armed man wearing a light blue polo shirt and jeans.
Orlando Police Sgt. Barbara Jones confirms there has been a shooting at a high-rise and multiple people have been hurt but she can't say how many. She says there is only one shooter.
The Orlando Fire Department tells WESH-TV that at least eight people are injured. Interstate 4 is closed in both directions through downtown and a nearby school is locked down.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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