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Jason Rodriguez sentenced to life in prison in downtown Orlando shooting

Jason Rodriguez convicted of 1st-degree murder, attempted 1st-degree murder

ORLANDO, Fla. – A judge has sentenced on Wednesday the man found guilty of first-degree murder in a shooting spree at a downtown Orlando office to life in prison.

Jason Rodriguez was convicted in November of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 26-year-old Otis Beckford and also guilty of attempted first-degree murder.

Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Rodriguez to six consecutive life sentences--one for each victim.

Prosecutors claim Rodriguez went into the office of his former employer, Reynolds, Smith and Hills architecture consulting firm in downtown Orlando seeking revenge for his firing two years before the shooting. He killed Beckford and injured five others in the shooting.

During the trial, Rodriguez's attorneys argued their client was insane and that he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.

The judge gave Rodriguez an opportunity to make a statement on Wednesday to address his victims, but Rodriguez chose not to speak.

One of the shooting survivors spoke out on Wednesday, blaming the family for ignoring the warning signs.

"We act as though we don't know when someone is sick or is hurting or when someone is in a bad mental space. But we do," said Keyondra Harrison. "We notice when people aren't themselves. And its our responsibility as a society and as a culture to say "you need to get some help."

Another one of Rodriguez's victims told the judge he believes Rodriguez does suffer from an illness and hopes that Rodriguez gets medicine and treatment.

Rodriguez said he would be appealing his conviction and sentence.

The Florida Department of Corrections will ultimately decide where Rodriguez will be housed. But Perry recommended that Rodriguez be housed in a prison that has a mental health treatment program.

Watch Local 6 for more on this story.


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