CHICAGO — The CEO of a Loop company who was shot in a murder-suicide attempt by an allegedly demoted employee in July has died, according to the company.
Steven LaVoie, CEO of logistics technology firm ArrowStream, was shot in the stomach and head on July 31, allegedly by Anthony DeFrances, a former company executive who had been recently demoted, police said.
Since then LaVoie, who turned 55 in August, had been fighting for his life.
“Steven loved to question the status quo,” Frank Morgiewicz, the current CEO of ArrowStream, wrote in a statement on the company's site Monday. “He inspired us to challenge ingrained mindsets and encourage new ways of thinking. His creativity and influence in the supply chain industry is felt in many circles, and is witnessed in the tremendous outpouring of goodwill as he fought to recover from his injuries.”
LaVoie was pronouced dead at 6:15 a.m. Monday at LaGrange Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
Police said they got the call of a shooting on the 17th floor of the Bank of America building, 231 S. La Salle St., and found two men shot in the head lying on the office floor.
Lizzie Tufano spoke to Cody Roeder, who was one floor below the shooting on July 31st:
DeFrances died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and was pronounced dead on the scene.
"It's an isolated workplace incident based upon a demotion from a downsizing of a corporation," Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said shortly after the incident.
LaVoie was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition improved, according to reports.
Following McCarthy's statement, the company posted on Facebook that there was no downsizing.
"Contrary to erroneous reports, we have not been reducing our workforce or downsizing in any way," according to the update.
Police Department spokesman Martin Maloney in August said: "The Superintendent relayed the information detectives gathered during the course of their investigation."
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