Victim Identified, Shooter To Face Judge

Orlando police have identified the man who died in a shooting spree at an Orlando business. Police say the victim is 26-year-old Otis Beckford (pictures of the victim) of Orlando, mentioned in police documents as an employee of Reynold, Smith & Hills, an engineering firm.

The shooter, 40-year-oldJason Rodriguez, is scheduled to face an Orange County judge at 11am Saturday.

It all started Friday morning when a gunman opened fire in the offices of a downtown Orlando engineering firm where he was let go more than two years ago, killing one person and injuring five others.

An Orlando Police Department investigator said, Friday evening, that Rodriquez has been charged with 1st degree murder in the incident and that more charges are pending. Rodriguez was taken to the Orange County jail Friday evening. He was screened for medical and mental fitness and put on suicide watch.

His 2002 silver Nissan SUV was located in Orange County at Hollowbrook Apartments on Curry Ford Road (see map)Friday afternoon.

KILLER AT PD: Raw Video | See Images KILLER ARRESTED: Aerial Images | Aerial Video FAMILY MOURNS: Young Father Dies In Shooting IMAGES: Shooting Victim Otis Beckford DOCUMENT: Charging Affidavit TEAM COVERAGE: WFTV With Latest On Deadly Shooting COMPANY OFFICIAL: Chief Operating Officer On Shooting LEGAL ANALYSIS: Bill Sheaffer On What's Next STATEMENTS: Fla. Legislators Respond To Tragedy AT THE SCENE: Ground Images | Aerial Images

A source told Eyewitness News that Rodriguez apparently had gone to his mother's home at the Hollowbrook Apartments on Curry Ford Road near 436 soon after the shooting. She knew nothing about it and left home. Later, she found out what had happened and that police were looking for her son, so she called them and told them where he was and that he was alone in her apartment.

Police Chief Val Demings says Rodriguez surrendered to police at his mother's home after officers saw him through a window and asked him to come out. Around 2:20pm, SWAT officers entered the apartment unit and exited with Rodriguez in cuffs.

“Was he putting up a fight?” WFTV reporter Jason Allen asked Joe Brown, who witnessed the arrest.

“Nah, What kind of fight are you gonna put up against that many police?” Brown replied (watch interview).

A short time later, Rodriguez arrived at Orlando Police Department headquarters.

"Why'd you do it?" WFTV reporter George Spencer asked Rodriguez as he was led into the Orlando Police Department ( raw video).

"Cause they left me to rot," he said.

"You're mad at your employers?" Spencer asked.

"No, I'm not, I'm angry," he replied.

Jason Rodriguez at OPD 110609 SUSPECT IN CUSTODY AT PD: Raw Video | See Images ARRESTED: Aerial Images | Aerial Video Reynolds, Smith & Hills (visit their website) company spokesman Mike Bernos told CNN all the people shot were in the firm's office on the eighth floor. The firm performs transportation engineering work with the Florida Department of Transportation.

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.

Court records show Rodriguez's life has been unraveling over the last several years, including a divorce, a drastic drop in income, to under $4,000 the first half of this year, and bankruptcy filed in May 2009. He went from working at engineering firms on the Florida Turnpike to working at a Subway restaurant in Orange County. Eyewitness News learned he also worked as an engineer/inspector from February to June 2008 and was fired for absentee issues.

Rodriguez has been married twice. The parents of his second wife spoke to Eyewitness News late Friday afternoon. They say he was on medication for his paranoia and he hated authority.

“He felt he was being discriminated against, but not because of his ethnic or anything else, but because they let him go from the job that he had because he didn't perform,” the killer’s ex-father-in-law told Eyewitness News.

"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."

Orlando police said Friday afternoon that anyone who has a family member or employee that works at Reynolds, Smith & Hills should go to College Park Baptist Church at 1914 Edgewater Drive (see map).

“We received a call about shots fired at the 1000 block of Legions Place,” Sgt. Barb Jones said early Friday afternoon (watch raw video). “We deployed our active shooter teams.”

FEAR GRIPPED WORKERS INSIDE BUILDING

Eyewitness News arrived on the scene and spoke to one man who said he saw someone screaming at him to get out of the building immediately. Other people were led out of the building, distraught and crying.

“We got back in our office and everybody kinda huddled in our office waiting for police," eyewitness Gerry Kilga told Eyewitness News (watch full interview).

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."

1ST DEGREE MURDER CHARGE

An investigator from the Orlando Police Department said, Friday evening, that Rodriguez has been charged with 1st degree murder in the shooting incident.

According to the charging affidavit (read affidavit), obtained by Eyewitness News, at 11:44 Friday morning Rodriguez entered the offices of Reynolds, Smith & Hills at 1000 Legion Place in Orlando. A witness to the event saw Rodriguez pull a handgun from a holster under his shirt, point it at a company employee, later identified as 26-year-old Otis Beckford, and then fire two shots killing the him. Otis-Beckford-Better-2.jpg Otis-Beckford-Better-2.jpg Shooting victim Otis Beckford The affidavit says that Rodriguez then went into a common work area and began firing shots "causing injuries to several other employees of the business."

According to the affidavit a witness saw Rodriguez leaving in a small silver car. The witness was able to copy most of the vehicle's tag. Officer found a vehicle fitting the description and discovered it to be registered to Rodriguez' parents. While officers were approaching the vehicle they saw Rodriguez in the window of his residence. He came out of the residence and was taken into custody without incident.

The affidavit states that as he was being handcuffed officers heard Rodriguez say, "I'm just going through a tough time right now, I'm sorry,"

As he was being questioned by police investigators Rodriguez said that people at the Reynolds, Smith & Hills Orlando office had "harassed him and threw him out for no reason at all, making it look like incompetency." The affidavit goes on to say that Rodriguez stated that his former employers were hindering his efforts to get unemployment benefits. He went on to say the he "felt he was forced into a situation where he could no longer provide for his family."

ENGINEERING FIRM REACTS TO TRAGIC SHOOTING

The business where the shooting happened is a special engineering firm that is working on projects for NASA, including the Ares 1-X rocket system.

A spokesperson for Reynolds, Smith & Hills said, as far as he knew, Rodriguez had very little contact with the office until the shooting Friday.

The shooting has rattled employees at all of their offices. In fact, they advised employees they could all go home early.

The company at the center of the downtown Orlando shooting has its sight set on the stars. The design and consulting firm is already working on constructing a new mobile launch platform for the next Ares rocket launch.

The company provides large-scale design work on big infrastructure projects ranging from launch pads to highways. Jason Rodriguez had only worked for them for a short time and was let go in 2007 for poor performance.

A spokesperson said they hadn't heard from him since.

"We can't account for why he would be harboring these feelings toward our company, particularly two and a half years later,” company spokesperson Ken Jacobson said.

The spokesman said Rodriguez worked on transportation projects until he was let go.

"His performance was below our standards. We were working with him on his performance for 11 months,” he said.

The company has had a presence in Central Florida dating back 25 years. RS&H has 800 employees in offices in 11 Florida cities and in 11 other states across the country.

Workers at offices across the state are now being offered counseling as they try to cope with the shooting. Workers at the Merritt Island office said they do work with their colleagues in Orlando from time to time, but none of them knew the gunman.

SEVERAL PATIENTS RUSHED TO HOSPITAL

According to ORMC officials, one of four patients at the hospital has gone to surgery; the other three patients are potential surgical candidates, but are still being evaluated and assessed; ages range from 23-49 years old.

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."

Camille Previlon rushed to the hospital when she heard her uncle, Guy Lugenbeel, was one of the people shot.

"All I know is that he was shot in the back, that’s all we know,” she told Eyewitness News outside Orlando Regional Medical Center (watch interview). “He is breathing and everything, we still need more answers.”

Previlon says her uncle was working as an engineer on the first floor and can't figure out how Rodriguez managed to get so far.

“That's a secure building. You can't get in without a card. And that's one thing I want to make sure. Whoever did this, I can promise you this isn't the end of this,” she said.

The fifth victim was hospitalized at Florida Hospital Orlando and is reportedly in good condition. The five survivors were in stable condition, Demings said, and expected to recover.

I-4 SHUTDOWN CREATES TRAFFIC MESS

The shooting happened just before noon at 1000 Legion Place (see map) at the Gateway Center. It resulted in absolute gridlock on I-4 as emergency crews shut down the interstate as a precaution.

VIDEO REPORT: Traffic Mess On I-4

Traffic was backed up for miles for hours. The roadway re-opened around 2:30pm. For a short time, tolls were even suspended on the 417 and the 408 to help relieve the congestion on I-4.

It took about a dozen state troopers to keep traffic off I-4. The highway was shut down at John Young Parkway to the south and at the Longwood exit to the north to keep drivers out of downtown Orlando while the shooter was on the loose.

Many drivers stuck on I-4 got off at John Young Parkway, but found themselves in another traffic mess.

Orlando police said Orange Avenue will remain closed between Ivanhoe Boulevard and Orange Avenue. Garland will remain closed between Marks and Orange.

SCHOOLS LOCKED DOWN AFTER SHOOTING

At one point, as many as four schools were locked down as investigators searched for the shooter. The schools were all in Orlando's College Park area.

The scene outside Edgewater High School was tense. An Orlando police officer with an assault rifle and a Lake County deputy with a long rifle patrolled outside the school, which is less than two miles from the shooting scene.

VIDEO REPORT: Schools Close Down

At times, there was fear that the shooter could try to escape through College Park.

The students inside didn't know what was happening outside. One told Eyewitness News she found out when a student at a different school texted her after seeing the drama unfold on TV.

The arrest happened at 2:20pm and that allowed authorities to lift the lockdown before the dismissal bell

Princeton Elementary and private schools Bishop Moore, Lake Highland Prep and Trinity Lutheran were also all on lockdown.