A Florida man who was fired earlier this year has opened fire at his former workplace, killing five people before turning the gun on himself as deputies approached the scene, officials say. Eight other people survived.
The incident began at about 8:03 a.m. on Monday when deputies were called to reports of an active shooter at the RV accessory company Fiamma in northeast Orlando. Upon arrival, they located multiple victims inside the business.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said five employees were killed before 45-year-old John Robert Neumann Jr. shot and killed himself. The victims were identified as 4 men and 1 woman between the ages of 44 and 69. Eight other people, including a vendor who was visiting the business, escaped safely.
“In terms of his total motive for shooting the specific individuals involved, we have information that at least one of them he had a negative relationship with,” Sheriff Demings said at a press conference. “He was certainly singling out the individuals that he shot.”
Most of the victims were shot in the head but some were shot multiple times, according to Demings. He added that the suspect was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and was also carrying a large hunting knife, as well as several smaller knives.
During the shooting rampage, Neumann allegedly approached a young woman who was a temporary worker and had just shown up for work. “He pointed a firearm at her and told her to get out of the business,” the sheriff said, explaining that the suspect had not previously worked with her.
The incident lasted for only a short time as deputies arrived on the scene in just over 2 minutes. “One of the survivors may have heard a siren or something in the background and shortly thereafter the subject shot and killed himself,” Demings said.
Neumann had worked at Fiamma for several years until he was fired in April, though it was not immediately known why he had been fired. Deputies were called to the business in June 2014 after Neumann allegedly assaulted one of his coworkers, but no arrests were made. The alleged victim in that incident is not believed to be among the killed in Monday’s shooting.
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