Courage Under Fire In Philly Boardroom

No money was lost in a real estate plan that police said prompted a man to kill three company executives and himself, according to another investor whom the man also wanted to kill.

Vincent J. Dortch believed that he and two other investors in Watson International lost money, perhaps a half-million dollars or more, on a plan to turn a former IBM conference center near Binghamton, N.Y., into an entertainment and banquet facility, according to police.

Philadelphia homicide Lt. Phil Riehl said Dortch had invested his wife's retirement money, but he was uncertain how much that was. Dortch claimed he lost "somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000," Riehl said.

Police had not yet determined if Dortch's claim was true.

Investor Vasantha Dammavalam said Watson International was moving forward with the conference center idea, despite some setbacks.

Watson bought the property, formerly known as Traditions at the Glen, about a year ago for $1.33 million from a company that had bought it from IBM.

The worst flooding in at least 70 years hit the region in June and damaged the property. But Watson had insurance, and the company settled with its insurer about a month ago, Dammavalam said.

"The check has been issued, but it has not been cashed yet," he said Wednesday.

Dammavalam declined to go into specifics, but said Watson's development plan had all been "going quite well."

Dammavalam said he was horrified when police told him Tuesday that Dortch, 44, of Newark, Del., intended to drive to his New York home and kill him after killing three other Watson executives and wounding a fourth man Monday night in Philadelphia.

The two other investors talked Dortch out of it, police said.

The shootings occurred after Dortch got Watson executives together under the pretense that he had another investor, police said.

Dammavalam said he had been on a conference call at the beginning of the meeting, but was disconnected before Dortch opened fire.

"I was on the phone for about a few minutes. We exchanged some basic pleasantries ... then the phone went dead," Dammavalam said. "They hung up the phone. I don't know who."

Minutes after the meeting started, Dortsch told the group, "You have a minute or two to say your prayers," according to police inspector Joseph Fox.

Dammavalam said he did not hear the shootings, nor did Dortch say anything to indicate he was upset, let alone that he planned to kill anyone. Dammavalam said he had met Dortch about four or five times and did not really know him.

Robert Norris, 41, of Newark, Del.; his brother Mark Norris, 46, of Pilesgrove, N.J.; and James Reif, 42, of Endicott, N.Y., were killed in the shootings, in the offices of a marketing company, Zigzag Net Inc., at the former Philadelphia Navy Yard.

Police Officer Lawrence Leissner, 35, said the lights were turned down low when he and two other officers answered a call reporting people shot and entered the second-floor office space.

"It was eerily silent," Leissner told a news conference. He said a door opened, and a man pointed a gun and fired. Leissner fired back, apparently hitting Dortch, and Dortch then shot himself in the head, according to police accounts.

Leissner shrugged off the label of hero, saying that belonged to Patrick Sweeney, 31, of Maple Shade, N.J., who was wounded by Dortch. He remained in critical condition Wednesday at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Bound in a chair and shot multiple times, Sweeney managed to splice together phone wires Dortch had yanked from the wall and call police.

"He had the will to survive," Leissner said. "This is the job I took. I'm not the hero."

Mark Norris was president and CEO of Zigzag. Sweeney is Zigzag's human resources manager, but was not an investor or executive with Watson International, according to police.

"He was not supposed to be there," Riehl said. Police have not been able to speak with Sweeney because of his injuries.

Dammavalam, who is also Zigzag's vice president, said the marketing company would continue.