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Sacked ex-employee goes on shooting spree

Matt Williams,Pa
Saturday 07 November 2009 13:04 GMT
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A sacked employee went on a shooting spree in a US office complex, killing one person and injuring five others before being caught by police.

The suspect, named as 40-year-old Jason Rodriguez, terrorised workers inside the Gateway Centre in downtown Orlando, Florida, yesterday with many barricading themselves behind closed doors during the rampage.

He fled after the shootings, but was eventually apprehended by an armed response team at his mother's home, officials said.

Authorities went to the residence after being alerted to his whereabouts by a phone call. He gave himself up without incident, officials said.

It put an end to the search for the gunman who, until his arrest, was feared to be still at large inside the office block.

Rodriguez worked at the centre until two years ago, but the firm, Reynolds, Smith & Hills, let him go after performance-related issues.

As well as the one fatality and five injuries, a further person was treated for chest pains in relation to the incident.

The attack came just one day after 13 people were killed during a shooting spree at a US military base in Texas.

As he was led into a police station after his arrest, reporters asked Rodriguez why he turned his gun on former colleagues he had not worked with for over two years.

"They left me to rot," the suspect replied before being taken inside for questioning.

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