Blackstone employees return to Park Avenue office a week after tragedy

(Bloomberg) — A week after a tragic shooting shook Blackstone Inc.’s headquarters at 345 Park Avenue, top executives including CEO Steve Schwarzman and President Jon Gray returned to the building to personally welcome employees back.

Schwarzman entered the same lobby where just days earlier, a gunman had taken the life of a rising star at the firm, triggering a building-wide lockdown. Chief Financial Officer Michael Chae also arrived, pausing to greet staff members before holding a quiet conversation with Bill Rudin—whose family owns the Midtown skyscraper and who also lost a team member in the incident.

Calling it “the worst day” in the firm’s history, both Schwarzman and Gray stood in the lobby to show solidarity and strength as Blackstone reopened its doors for business.