N.M. Shooter Who Killed 2, Self "Seemed Nice"

The man who shot and wounded his former girlfriend and five others - two fatally - before taking his own life Monday "seemed nice," according to a neighbor of the wounded woman.

Robert Reza, 37, had apparently been separated from his girlfriend for some time, and for the last few months had been living with relatives in Albuquerque.

Monday's violence arose from a bitter child custody dispute between Reza and his girlfriend, reports CBS Affiliate KQRE.

The girlfriend remained hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds Monday night. Two of the other wounded people were in stable condition at University of New Mexico Hospital, while the third was treated and released, hospital spokesman Billy Sparks said.

No other names were released.

Police Chief Ray Schultz said the girlfriend had told co-workers she planned to report domestic violence to authorities. He said Reza acted alone.

"His primary target was his girlfriend at the facility," Schultz said. "He knew her routine and confronted her outside the business."

The children were reported safe at a residence in Rio Rancho.

Schultz said the only criminal background discovered for Reza were drunken driving arrests in 2003 and 2000. The chief said there was at least one previous domestic violence call involving the gunman outside Albuquerque but he didn't have details.

It wasn't known how Reza was able to force his way past security at the Emcore manufacturing plant, where he used to work.

Armed with a handgun, Reza reloaded at least once while firing more than 20 shots at several workers, Schultz said, leaving behind a gruesome scene of blood and shell casings across the company headquarters.

Police were on the scene and entered the building within minutes of the first 911 call. Responding officers had to step past several victims - one dead and several wounded - as they raced into the building to stop the gunman.

Mayhem unfolded as Reza opened fire, sending employees fleeing for cover as police locked down the entire neighborhood.

"This is the worst nightmare you can think of," Schultz said. "No one wants to have a situation like this occur in their community."

KRQE reports that during the shooting Emcore employees and delivery people fled the area, some taking refuge at the adjacent Kirtland Air Force Base. Other employees helped shepherd colleagues into rooms while some aided the wounded.

"One thing here during the firing is a lot of heroic actions by employees of the building helping wounded employees, helping employees get to safe locations with the building," Schultz said.

The first five officers on the scene formed an active-shooter response team focused on isolating the gunman letting the second wave of officers remove victims from the scene.

The arrival of police apparently drove Reza to an interior room at Emcore where he shot himself to death, Schultz said. By then he had shot and killed a second person and wounded three others.

Investigators talking to witnesses and reviewing surveillance video quickly confirmed Reza was acting alone.

Police said Reza's body was still in the building until at least midnight, as crime scene investigators continued processing evidence in and around Emcore's Building 2.

"It's a large and complex shooting scene," Schultz csaid.

He said more than 220 people were transported by bus from Emcore buildings to a community center, where detectives interviewed them. Employees also were offered grief counseling and treatment for asthma or diabetic conditions.

Last night as police served a search warrant on Reza's house, people in the neighborhood were shocked and scared.

"What if it would have happened here in the neighborhood, or here closer to the home, the shootings themselves?" said Linda Benavidez to KRQE.

"It's really scary because we take walks around the neighborhood, and there are a lot of kids that play in this area," Shari Quam said.

In Rio Rancho, where Reza's former girlfriend lived with their children, KRQE correspondent Jim Winchester reports that a neighbor and former coworker at Emcore had nothing but good things to say about the woman.

"As a coworker, she was just a caring individual," Sharon Bailey told Winchester. "She had pictures that were drawn by her twin boys all over her office - obviously a very caring loving mother."

Bailey said she made met Reza at work "a couple of times," and while she didn't know him very well, offered that "He just seemed like a nice, calm, you know, everyday guy."

Emcore manufactures components that allow voice, video and data transmission over fiber-optic lines. They also make solar power systems for satellite and ground-based systems. Based in Albuquerque, the company has about 700 full-time employees.