ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. -- In a stunning turnabout, a dead man called a "suspect" just 24 hours ago is now deemed the murder victim in a double shooting at an Adams County office building.

Adams County Coroner James Hibbard said the investigation shifted when an autopsy revealed that Thomas P. Ciancio had been shot more than once in the head during a clash with his ex-boss, William Rex Fowler, who was also shot.

"At this time we're listing (Ciancio) as the victim of a homicide," Hibbard told TheDenverChannel.com. "We're comfortable in our findings that the injuries to Mr. Ciancio could not have been self-inflicted."

When the bloody 58-year-old Fowler stumbled from the office of Fowler Software Design into the arms of police officers Wednesday morning he was initially deemed the "victim."

The 42-year-old Ciancio, the former chief operating officer at the firm, was called the "suspect" by the Adams County sheriff's spokeswoman after SWAT officers found his body inside the building along with the lone gun.

The discovery ended a tense 2½-hour standoff with heavily armed SWAT officers surrounding the building, not knowing whether the "gunman" was still inside. Authorities used automated telephone alerts to caution surrounding residents to stay inside their homes and businesses.

There were unconfirmed reports that Ciancio, a Castle Rock resident, was a disgruntled former employee.

Now Hibbard and sheriff's spokeswoman Sgt. Candi Baker said Fowler -- who remains hospitalized in critical condition -- could become the suspect in the deadly shooting.

"Over the past 24 hours, the sheriff's office was able to process the scene of the shooting, as well as interview multiple witnesses and obtain specific information concerning the gunshot wounds of Rex Fowler and Thomas Ciancio," Baker said in a statement Thursday afternoon. Then came the findings from the autopsy.

"Based on interviews and evidence collected, it appears Thomas Ciancio was the victim of a homicide and not the gunman," Baker said. "Rex Fowler is currently in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the head."

"The facts and circumstances surrounding the incident continue to be investigated. No other persons are believed to be involved in this shooting," she added.

Said Hibbard: "When you get in there and start investigating and do the autopsy you're going to find that sometimes the information will change. And in doing that you just change the focus of your investigation and concentrate on the information that you now have at hand."

The coroner would not immediately disclose how many times Ciancio was shot in the head, saying it could be critical evidence in solving the mysterious murder.

"The number of shots that are at the head are important as far as the investigation into identifying the possible shooter," the coroner told 7NEWS.

A man who worked in the office building told 7NEWS that he never heard any kind of argument or shouting before three to four shots were fired Wednesday. The worker did not want to be identified.

A colleague said he was stunned that two men who seemed to work well together were involved in a deadly dispute.

"It caught me as a complete shock when I saw it on the television news last night and I'm still in shock," said Alan Baumbach, a software consultant who worked at Fowler Software Design earlier this year and had used the firm to produce his own software for years.

"I cannot imagine either one -- much less both -- of those individuals being involved in an altercation of this magnitude," Baumbauch told TheDenverChannel.com "It's something that comes as a shock, because it's totally out of character for both individuals."

He described Ciancio as a sunny individual and a multitalented software programmer.

"He was very, very cheerful, always had a smile on his face, always happy to see you, and very positive and upbeat and optimistic," Baumbach said.

Likewise, he called Fowler "a great friend. I've known Rex and his wife, Jan, for over 25 years. Rex was always very dedicated and was an excellent software developer."

Ciancio was hailed in a Fowler Software Design newsletter when he was hired in 2006 as a technology manager, according to a company newsletter.

"Tom Ciancio has Arrived!" the profile declared, calling his hiring a "cause for celebration."

The profile said that Ciancio's upbringing as one of 10 siblings had instilled in him camaraderie and a commitment to "truly being there for your family and for others and making sure your presence had an impact."

"Tom has closely followed this philosophy his entire life and from it he has learned 'it's not just what you say, but what you actually do that makes a difference,'" the newsletter said.

Described as "diligent" and "devoted" to serving customers' needs, Ciancio rose to chief operating officer within two years.

Ciancio's break with Fowler's firm was sudden.

He was quoted in a Nov. 13 press release and his name remains on the company's telephone answer system. But his photo has been removed from the staff directory.

Fowler and his wife founded their software firm in 1984, according to the firm's Web site. The company is proud of providing "flawless computer software service" to a worldwide clientele, according to its Web site.