ORLANDO -- Jason Rodriguez, the man accused of going on a shooting rampage at his former place of employment, proclaimed he's innocent as he was placed in the back of a police car for a ride to the Orange County Jail Friday evening.
Investigators said Rodriguez, 40, allegedly walked into the Reynolds, Smith and Hills Inc., in the Legion Place office building in downtown Orlando, pulled out a handgun and shot Otis Beckford, 26, twice, killing him. Five others were wounded.
“They left me to rot,” Rodriguez told reporters as police took him into custody Friday afternoon.
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Rodriguez was reportedly an entry-level engineer who was fired in June 2007 after working there for a year.
Police Chief Val Demings said Rodriguez surrendered to police at his mother’s home at the Hollowbrook Apartments off
Curry Ford Road after officers saw him through a window and asked him to come out.
Police documents released Friday night show Rodriguez may have snapped because he thought his former employer was hindering his efforts to obtain unemployment benefits.
Rodriguez is charged with first-degree murder, and is facing additional charges.
A firearm has been recovered in the shooting.
News 13 spoke with residents at the apartment complex who said they were really shaken up and could not believe the suspect was hiding in their backyards.
Many residents said even if Rodriguez was suffering from stress or financial difficulties, there was no reason to resort to this type of violence.
Shooting Victims Hospitalized
Four victims -- three men and one woman -- were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center. One patient was taken in for surgery. Their condition remains unknown.
Hospital officials said the other three are potential surgery candidates, but doctors will continue to monitor them to decide whether to take them in for surgery.
The patients range in age from 23 to 49 years old.
The fifth victim is at Florida Hospital. Their condition is also unknown.
Shooting Leaves Employees Stuck In Building
Employees who were stuck in the building for hours were finally allowed to go home around 2:30 p.m.
Many said this was a day they will certainly never forget.
"It was just, we were working and one of my co-workers came in and said the building was being surrounded, and there was policemen with heavy machine guns and they were surrounding the building,” said Mark Vella, who works on the 12th floor. “All of the sudden a lot of cars kept coming up. We saw people being carried out of the building that were injured and bloodied. It was a little scary. We called 911 and they told us to hang tight, so we just kind of held out in the office and waited for police to escort us out."
“I just can’t believe that it's happening,” Michelle Patton said. “I don't care what's going on in life. You don't shoot people. You don't kill people for job loss or whatever the case is. It's not worth death."
Church Offers Help To Victims' Families, Co-Workers
The head of the company where the shooting took place said company officials are trying to make sense of a senseless tragedy.
Reynolds, Smith and Hills' Chief Officer David Robertson went to the College Park First Baptist Church, which was set up to answer concerned friends and co-worker's questions.
The pastor of the church said only a handful of people turned out.
Robertson said he is trying to meet with workers to let them know grief counselors will be provided by the company to try to help any way they can.
"Whatever we can do to provide then with, help them overcome this tragedy that occurred, we will do. And exactly what this is I just don't know right now," Robertson said.
Robertson said he knows only that Rodriguez is a former employee.
The chief officer said he also wants to meet with the shooting victims to also let them know the company wants to help in their moment of pain.
The communication center has set up as a crisis hotline at (321) 235-5300.
Shooting Locks Down Schools
Students at Edgewater High School had their own fear Friday afternoon when law enforcement officials decided to put the school on lockdown during the search for Rodriguez.
Parents and students admit they are more than relieved police caught the shooter, but it was a frightening couple of hours during the lockdown.
Around 1 p.m., school officials notified students no one would be allowed in or out of the school.
Students said they noticed increased security.
Some teachers allowed students to watch the story unfold on television. For others, it was class as usual.
Students and parents said this is definitely a day they will never forget.
Princeton Elementary was also on lockdown.
What Is Reynolds, Smith and Hills?
Reynolds, Smith and Hills is an infrastructure consulting firm specializing in architectural and engineering projects.
It was founded in 1941 and operates in 13 states.
The company has done road work projects for NASA as well as the Department of Defense.
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