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By KAREN MIKOLS
Hays Daily News
After a five-hour standoff with law enforcement Friday, a former Nex-Tech employee apparently has committed suicide.
About 3:20 p.m. Friday, law enforcement was called to Nex-Tech Internet Solutions, 210 E. 12th, for a man with a gun.
"It was a former employee," Assistant Police Chief Phil Hartsfield said. "He had been fired a number of months ago."
Hartsfield said the man -- who was identified as 33-year-old Marvin Griffith -- entered the manager's office and the manager saw a gun.
"She immediately left the room and gave orders to evacuate," he said.
After more than four hours of trying to contact the individual in the building, Hartsfield said the Special Situation Response Team entered Nex-Tech Internet Solutions. "We decided to send in the tactical team in to attempt to end it safely," Hartsfield said.
Dr. Lyle Noordhoek, coroner for the 23rd Judicial District, said the cause of death is suicide. No other injuries were reported and the death remains under investigation.
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Jeff Wick, chief operating officer for Nex-Tech, said the nearly 20 employees were safely evacuated. "We're just thankful all our employees got out," Wick said. "We accounted, double accounted and triple accounted for everyone."
Employees were sent home, or to the company's main office on Vine Street.
"We're doing the necessary steps to take care of our employees," Wick said. "Over the last year, we've been doing a lot of disaster planning and emergency preparedness. We had a plan in place."
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In addition to evacuating the building, homes on 11th and 12th streets between Oak and Pine were evacuated. Several blocks surrounding the Nex-Tech Internet Solutions building were also closed.
About two dozen Hays Police officers were joined by Ellis County Sheriffs Officers, Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers, Fort Hays State University Police and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
"We're fortunate that we work with everyone well," Hartsfield said. "It would have been difficult if not impossible without the support to handle two large situations tonight," referring to a bomb threat called in to the Hays Medical Center during the standoff.
Reporter Karen Mikols can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 143, or by e-mail at kmikols@dailynews.net.
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