Five people are dead and seven more are wounded after a gunman opened fire at his former workplace in Orlando Monday morning.
Forty-five year-old John Robert Neumann, Jr. opened fire on his coworkers at awning company Fiamma Inc. before shooting himself, local officials said.
Officers were called to the scene at around 8 a.m. and arrived two minutes after the 911 call.
Orlando law enforcement said the man was a “disgruntled employee” who had been fired in April. The shooter had been accused of assaulting a coworker in 2014.
"It's a sad day for us once again in Orange County," said Orange County sheriff Jerry Demings. "Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the victims."
Gov. Rick Scott was briefed on the incident Monday morning and arranged calls with Orlando Police Chief John Mina, Florida Department of Law Enforcement commissioner Rick Swearingen and FDLE special agent in charge Danny Banks.
Scott extended his sympathy to the victims and the Orlando community, which was rocked by a terrorist attack at the Pulse Nightclub this time last year.
“Over the past year, the Orlando community has been challenged like never before,” the governor said in a statement. “I have been briefed by our law enforcement officials on this tragic incident and Ann and I are praying for the families who lost loved ones today. I ask all Floridians to pray for the families impacted by this senseless act of violence. I will remain in contact with the Orlando law enforcement community throughout the day as more information is made available.”
Other elected officials chimed in with messages of support for the Orlando community Monday morning.
“My heart breaks for those affected by today's shooting in Orlando,” U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., wrote on Twitter. “Praying for speedy recovery of injured & for families of those killed. We have endured far too much heartbreak since Pulse. We must continue to find strength in each other.”
“Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims of #ForsythShooting,” wrote U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., on Twitter. “I encourage public to support [a] law enforcement investigation.”
It didn’t take long for gun safety groups to respond to the attack, calling for increased safety measures to prevent gun violence.
“The one-year mark of the Pulse Nightclub shooting is just days away – and now once again, the eyes of the nation are on Orlando as we grapple with terrible gun violence,” said Everytown/Florida Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense chapter leader Michelle Gajda. “We should all be able to go to work, dance in a nightclub or enjoy a night out at the movies without the threat of gun violence looming over our heads. We must demand more of our lawmakers and work together to find common sense solutions that will protect all communities in our state and across the nation."
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
