Jerry Demings, Orange County Sheriff, has identified that five people were shot and killed on Monday, June 5, by a disgruntled former employee prior to taking his own life at a business in Orlando. The sheriff identified that deputies had arrived on the scene two minutes after receiving the call that there was an active shooter. In a statement, Florida Governor Rick Scott said, “I ask all Floridians to pray for the families impacted by this senseless act of violence.”
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Orlando Workplace Attack Sees 5 Killed Before Shooter Takes His Own Life
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Photo: Facebook/ABC 7 Chicago
One woman and three men were dead on the scene at Fiamma (a company that makes RV awnings), while another man was transported to the hospital where he later died of his injuries. Demings told local NBC affiliate, KCBD, that the shooter was identified as 45-year-old John Robert Neumann Jr, who took his own life just prior to police arriving. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the victims have been identified, and Demings has since described the incident as a workplace shooting with absolutely no links to terrorism. The shooter had been a former employee of the business and was fired in April.
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In a study completed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 11.4 such instances happen annually within 40 of the 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia. Between 2000 and 2013, 160 workplace shootings were reported across the U.S., including incidents in Texas, resulting in over 1,000 casualties (including killed and wounded). Those with the highest number of casualties include the incident at the processing center in Fort Hood, Texas, where 13 were killed and 32 were wounded. Authorities continue to take steps to mitigate such occurrences, however, despite all manner of health and safety training and effective employee policy, workplace violence continues to be an issue.
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In 2014, police had previously responded to Fiamma in Orlando due to Neumann’s actions, after he was accused of battery against another employee. At the time, no charges were filed. Neumann had been discharged from the U.S. Army in 1999 and had a prior record of possession of marijuana and DUI. Armed with a handgun as well as a knife, he proceeded to take the lives of five employees, and then his own, how, ver there was no indication that the knife was used. Seven other individuals were inside the building at the time of the shooting, and Sheriff Demings noted that, “One of the surviving witnesses said [the shooter] pointed the gun at her and told her to get out of there.”
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