VALPARAISO | Employees of the Prudential Executive Group will receive grief counseling in the wake of a hostage standoff Friday that ended with the gunman shot on the floor of the office, a Prudential executive said.
"Naturally the employees are shaken. They are getting back up on their feet and pulling it together," said Kevin Ostler, manager of communication for Prudential Real Estate of Irvine, Ca.
"It was a harrowing experience," Ostler said.
Ten people were inside the Prudential office, 2612 Calumet Ave., when Roy L. Ferguson, 48, entered just before 10 a.m. Friday, authorities said.
All those inside had been released by 3:30 p.m. One of the hostages was treated and released from Porter hospital after being struck in the head.
The standoff apparently stemmed from Ferguson believing he was owed money by an employee, who reportedly was not in the building at the time, police said.
The confrontation ended just before 5 p.m. Friday, with SWAT team members storming the building. Ferguson was found shot on the floor.
The office, in a gray, two-story building at one of the city's busiest intersections, underwent cleanup Saturday by coverall-clad workers with Indianapolis-based Amerestore, a company specializing in trauma restoration, owner Mike Adams said.
Officials did not know Saturday when the office would reopen.
"The office is still a crime scene," Ostler said. "We are working on a contingency plan at the moment."
Please Wait…