Jason Rodriguez, 40, arrived at Legions Place in Gateway Center on Ivanhoe Boulevard shortly before noon and began opening fire. Hours later, after nearby schools were placed on lockdown, traffic had been disrupted due to the closing of I-4 and nearby roads, and tolls had been lifted in the area to alleviate traffic, he was apprehended. In the mean time one person was dead and five others wounded.
The target of Rodriguez’s rampage was Reynolds, Smith & Hill , a downtown Orlando engineering firm where he was employed and subsequently terminated than two years ago. Many of the people in the office building were familiar with Rodriguez.
The shooting began sometime before noon. Police arrived on the scene within minutes and began evacuating office workers and securing the area. They soon had a name for their suspect based on eyewitness reports of those inside the building who had seen Rodriguez.
Rodriguez’s car was spotted at Holbrook Apartments where Police and SWAT converged and began searching.
Rodriguez was finally apprehended after his mother, upon learning he was been sought by police, informed the authorities that Rodriguez had made his way to her apartment at Holbrook and was inside alone. He surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody.
At the Orlando Police Department Rodriguez told reporters “They left me there to rot” but added he wasn’t angry.
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