Could Orlando Shooter’s Employer Have Done Something? Part 1

Like everyone else who is a news junkie, I’ve been saturated with coverage about the Orlando shooting and all the issues it raises about terrorism, the LGBT and Muslim communities, and proposals for an assault weapons ban.
But that’s not what this column is about. Because my mind sees the world through the prism of HR, I’ve been wondering a lot about the role the employer played (if any) in the shooter’s action. I wonder:

Did they do their own investigation when they learned about the FBI ? What did they do about it? Where there other red flags? Was he ever disciplined for using threatening language? Did they act responsibly or did they turn a blind eye? What would I have done if he was one of my employees?

Some facts:

The shooter worked for the same company G4S (a gigantic, global security service provider) for almost 10 years. Pre-hire, he passed an extensive background check, including criminal records and a written psychological/personality test (MMPI).
But in 2013, courthouse officials where he was working as a guard, requested that he be removed after complaints from co-workers. Those complaints were so serious they resulted in an FBI investigation.

Then the company removes him but does not fire him. Threatening language is usually a very serious offense and can easily get you fired. Were they reluctant to fire him for fear he would sue based on religious discrimination? Or retaliate with violence? (“go postal?) Or maybe they just wanted to give him a chance. So after undergoing and passing a 2nd criminal check, they transfer him to an unarmed guard position at the entrance of a gated community where he remained until the end.
It’s unclear whether the company was aware of the 2nd FBI investigation in 2014, but it’s difficult to believe that someone with 2 FBI investigations was still allowed to work for a security firm.

But even if they had fired him, that alone would not have made everyone safe. He was still an unstable person, and he could still have purchased those guns.
So what else -besides firing- can an employer do when dealing with an employee with anger or mental health issues?

Let’s explore that next week.