CBCnews

Orlando office shooter kills at least 1

Suspect arrested is ex-employee of construction firm

Last Updated: Friday, November 6, 2009 | 6:17 PM ET

A former employee of an Orlando engineering and construction company has been arrested after a shooting rampage that killed at least one person at the office.

At least five others were wounded in Friday's shooting, officials said.

Jason Rodriguez, 40, was taken into custody in the afternoon after SWAT police secured and searched the highrise building.

Rodriguez surrendered to police at his mother's home, officials said. Asked by a reporter outside the police station why he did it, he replied: "Because they left me to rot."

A handgun was used to fire at several employees on the eighth floor of the building, according to Florida police.

People streamed out of the building around lunchtime and some told local television stations they had barricaded themselves inside their offices.

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.

Interstate 4 was closed in both directions through downtown and a nearby school was locked down during Friday's hunt for the shooting suspect.

Rows of ambulances could be seen lined up outside the building as police snipers took up positions around the building, and officers on foot and horseback searched the area.

With files from The Associated Press
  •  
 

Video

    World Headlines

    Iranian-Canadian journalist talks of prison ordeal Video
    Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari says he was regularly beaten and threatened with execution while imprisoned in Iran for 118 days.
    Indonesian ferry sinks in storm
    Rescuers saved more than 240 people aboard an Indonesian passenger ferry that sank Sunday in rough waters off Sumatra island, but at least 29 people have died, officials said.
    Iranian forces practise defending nuke sites
    Iran on Sunday began large-scale air defence war games aimed at protecting the country's nuclear facilities against any possible attack, state television reported.
    Romania headed for presidential run-off vote
    A run-off election will likely be needed to decide who Romania's next president will be after Sunday's vote failed to produce a winner, according to two exit polls.
    Teen shot 11 times by N.Y. police
    New York City's medical examiner's office says a teenager killed by police following a chase was shot 11 times.

    People who read this also read …

    Top CBCNews.ca Headlines

    Headlines

    Iranian-Canadian journalist talks of prison ordeal Video
    Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari says he was regularly beaten and threatened with execution while imprisoned in Iran for 118 days.
    Afghan prisoner transfers halted 'more than 1 time' Video
    Canadian officials have halted the transfer of prisoners to Afghanistan's intelligence service "more than one time," because of the possibility of torture, Canada's chief of defence staff said Sunday.
    Indonesian ferry sinks in storm
    Rescuers saved more than 240 people aboard an Indonesian passenger ferry that sank Sunday in rough waters off Sumatra island, but at least 29 people have died, officials said.
    Iranian forces practise defending nuke sites
    Iran on Sunday began large-scale air defence war games aimed at protecting the country's nuclear facilities against any possible attack, state television reported.
    Teens named in 4-death crash near Calgary
    Police have released the names of three young women killed in a two-vehicle crash south of Calgary on Saturday afternoon, but have yet to reveal the name of a fourth woman who died.