BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Police have confirmed that a man who reportedly lost his job committed suicide this morning in a downtown Birmingham parking deck.

The 41-year-old man worked for a downtown engineering company near the scene. Former coworkers of the man gathered around inside their office building, obviously somber.

The company president, Keith Owens, told

there was little they could say at this point.

"We're keeping his family in our prayers," Owens said. "That is our concern right now."

Birmingham police Lt. Sean Edwards said the man was fired from his job about noon Tuesday. A co-worker saw him at 7:39 a.m., armed with a shotgun inside his red Ford F150 on top of the nearby parking deck on Fourth Avenue North.

The co-worker notified company officials and police were called. Shortly after police arrived on the scene, witnesses and police reported hearing a single gunshot.

MBA supervisors locked the office doors and ordered employees to stay inside. Officers and the department's SWAT team flocked to the scene, blocking off a multi-block area around a parking deck at 1915 Fourth Ave. N.