By Tom Steele, Eline de Bruijn and Julieta Chiquillo, Dallas News
A man fatally shot his female supervisor, then killed himself Monday morning at an office tower in Lake Highlands, near the High Five.
Dozens of officers — including agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — responded to the building along LBJ Freeway, near Schroeder Road, as workers evacuated from the building about 10:45 a.m. Monday.
Police shot a locked glass door with a shotgun to get into the office where the shooting took place — the only shot fired by police, Assistant police Chief Randall Blankenbaker said.
(Assistant Chief Randy Blankenbaker makes a statement about a shooting at an office building near High Five. Courtesy of The Dallas Morning News and YouTube.)
Blankenbaker said police believe the man shot the woman before killing himself.
Neither person’s identity has been released.
One officer suffered a minor injury from broken glass during the incident and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Blankenbaker said there were witnesses to the shooting but no one else was injured.
SWAT officers searched the building floor by floor to make sure there were no other gunmen and to evacuate everyone who had taken shelter indoors.
The building was declared safe at 12:49 p.m., police said.
Mary Jo Nsuk, who works in the building, stood in the parking lot shoeless just before noon.
She was on the 10th floor when she heard a commotion coming from below and heard police say, “Come out with your hands up.”
About five minutes later, policecame to the door to escort her downstairs, saying, “Get out of the office, come on.”
She left her belongings, including her cellphone and shoes, behind.
“Police were doing their best to make sure all floors were clear,” she said.
“They protected people with shields and a cop was facing backwards when they were trying to get us downstairs.”
Brandee Love and Bailee Christian, who also work on the 10th floor, said they heard a number of shots and then screams.
A short time later, SWAT officers escorted them down a stairwell and out of the building.
One officer’s arm was bleeding, they said.
Paul Doran was on the sixth floor working at a commercial real estate investment company when he heard popping noises.
“We got the fridge to barricade the door and hoped we were alright,” he said. “I was just scared. I’ve never been in this situation before.”
Cathy Crowe, Doran’s aunt and his boss at the real estate company, wasn’t in the building Monday morning but said she could see that her office’s window was cracked.
Photos from the scene showed a broken window about halfway up the west side of the building.
Qon Cole got to his job interview at the office tower at about 10:30 a.m., two hours early. He said he tried to get in but that the doors were locked from the outside.
A guard told him to get out and that there was an emergency in the building.
“I didn’t know what to say,” Cole said. “I was puzzled.”
He said workers were streaming out, some walking, some running.
Cole couldn’t get back into his car. The guard motioned for people to move away.
“Get back! Get back!” the guard told Cole.
Now Cole is waiting.
The parking lot in front of the building, where his car is, has been cordoned off.
The company that manages the building, Boxer Property, said on Twitter that its thoughts and prayers were with everyone involved.
Authorities have closed the eastbound LBJ service road while police investigate.
