After Monday’s horrific events on Raw, those “dark clouds” the Chairman once spoke of are now felt prominently in the halls and offices of WWE headquarters.
With Mr. McMahon presumed dead, the corporate flag on the roof of Titan Tower was lowered to half-staff Tuesday morning. The company McMahon built into a sports-entertainment giant began to mourn the passing of its leader and visionary.
Many WWE staffers are still suffering from the trauma of seeing their corporate leader’s limousine explode on live television just after Mr. McMahon entered it.
“I sat there stunned, not believing what I just saw,” said marketing employee Stefanie Granata. “Then I just cried. You just don’t realize how precious life is until something like this happens.”
Though federal officials at the scene have not recovered his body from the charred chassis of the limo, investigators believe that Mr. McMahon’s body could possibly have been incinerated in the blast.
Some WWE employees wore black clothing to express their sadness. Others have left flowers by the Chairman’s office door. And if you listen closely, faint sobbing can be overheard occasionally amongst the din of the phones, fax machines and printers.
Heather Lubin, a long-time marketing employee, said the loss is being felt hard around the Stamford offices – mostly because of the unexpected, unexplained nature of the tragedy.
“It’s hard to cope with this tragedy when there’s so many questions unanswered,” Lubin said. “Who could do such a thing to Mr. McMahon?”
As for Liz Montgomery, a WWE creative services employee, she hopes that everyone can come together and help each other cope with the shocking loss of the company’s heart and soul.
“He’ll be truly, truly missed,” Montgomery said. “Wherever he is now, I hope it’s in a good place. But we’re going to miss him terribly.”
