Sacked lawyer shoots boss at firm’s office party
A sacked lawyer in America went to his former employer’s office party and shot dead a senior partner before turning the gun on himself.
The gunman, who has yet to be identified, shot dead Major Langer, 75, at the office of law firm Bixby Knolls in Long Beach, southern California, on Friday afternoon.
He also injured Ronald Beck, who runs day-to-day operations at the firm.
Beck is currently in a serious but stable condition and was rushed to the hospital by his son after the shooting.
The incident reportedly happened just after the gunman was fired from the law firm, and during the company’s holiday party where employees could spin a wheel to win prizes.
Long Beach police responded to an incident at Bixby Knolls amid reports of an active shooter, but said afterwards that it was actually a “workplace violence incident”.
One source said police had scoured the building, looking for a gunman, and repeatedly came across groups of crying and screaming employees still hiding or trying to flee.
Police said the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and didn’t engage with any officers.
It’s not clear if he was dead before they got to the scene.
Langer had practised law for 51 years, including acting in California’s longest trial and representing actress Pamela Anderson in a contract lawsuit. A friend of Langer described the lawyer as “probably the most caring, sincere man I ever met”.