ORANGE COUNTY, FLA. - JUDGE MELVIN PERRY IS BACK!!! This trial is in his court and the same prosecutor, Linda Drane Burdick.... that tried Casey Anthony is working this case. Coworkers say accused Gateway Center shooter, Jason Rodriguez made threats. Jason Rodriguez shot, killed Otis Beckford in 2009, officials say. Im on the floor waiting for him to finish me off, said receptionist Maureen Daly. Im waiting to die and Im praying. ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —In day two of testimony in the murder trial for Jason Rodriguez, accused in the Gateway Center shooting, prosecutors presented evidence that the mass shooting was more than two years in the making. The trial against accused Gateway Center shooter, Jason Rodriguez, began on Thursday morning in Orange County. More They are trying to convince jurors that it started with threats Rodriguez made the day he was fired. Rodriguez former supervisor described a gesture and note Rodriguez taped to an office window the day he was fired. Two and a half years later, in November 2009, prosecutors said Rodriguez came back to carry out those threats. I saw Jason Rodriguez with a gun in his hand, walking to where I used to be, said former supervisor James Beverly. I crouched down and ran for my life. Renato Gonzalez, the man who fired Rodriguez, said the termination seemed to go as well as it could. It went fine. We shook hands at the end. We thought it was a friendly departure, he said. But the companys IT director testified that Rodriguez got mad when he would not let him log back on to his work computer. He kept arguing. I said, Jason, I cant do it. He told me to go (expletive) myself, said Ken van Velzen. Another former coworker said he had to barricade an office door with his body, so the shooter fired through his window. I heard the knob on my door move as someone tried to open it to get in, said Jeffrey Glenn. A gunshot shattered the entire 4-foot by 4-foot window. On cross examination, defense attorneys elicited testimony about Rodriguez unusual behavior prior to being fired. They argue he was insane at the time of the shooting. On Thursday, the victims who took the stand were still overcome with emotion four years later. Im on the floor waiting for him to finish me off, said receptionist Maureen Daly. Im waiting to die and Im praying. Daly testified that she saw Rodriguez storm into her office that day. Rodriguez attorney apologized to the victims and families. She told the jury these shootings were committed by a psychotic man still tormented by demons, including a delusional figure known as Sharp Tooth. Prosecutors say 44-year-old Rodriguez understood what he was doing and should go to prison for life. Seven women and five men will decide if Rodriguez is guilty of one count of first-degree murder and five counts of attempted murder. Rodriguez is expected to rely on an insanity defense. The trial is expected to last through next week. Admin/Sharon..... Your thoughts? Read more: wesh/news/central-florida/orange-county/witness-testimony-to-continue-in-gateway-center-shooting-trial/-/12978032/22867172/-/ch2gof/-/index.html#ixzz2kMu3uuJC
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 20:21:12 +0000
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