The 10 plaintiffs and Regent Security Services were set to argue their case before U.S. District Court Judge Cameron Currie on Tuesday but told the judge they had reached an agreement late Monday night.

The settlement is for an undisclosed amount of money, the judge said.

Judge Currie denied Regent's plea to dismiss the case in an order filed with the court Oct. 24.

The judge wrote the evidence was "mixed" as to whether the Sept. 17, 1997, attack by Mr. Wise was foreseeable. Regent had argued there was no way its employees could have known Mr. Wise would resort to violence.

Regent security guard Stanley L. Vance was the first person shot by Mr. Wise. He was stationed at the gatehouse of the small engine parts manufacturer. He sued and settled with Phelon for an undisclosed amount of money, saying the company failed to warn him that Mr. Wise had prior disruptions at the facility.

Mr. Wise was convicted and sentenced to death earlier this year.

A deposition by Mr. Vance was part of the case settled Monday night.

In the deposition, Mr. Vance said he had told Phelon Human Resources Director Charles Griffeth, who was Mr. Wise's first murder victim, that Mr. Wise's belongings should be brought to the gatehouse so Mr. Vance could give them to him.

Mr. Wise was fired from the company in July 1997, and Mr. Vance has said he had expected Mr. Wise to return the day of the shootings to retrieve the belongings.

Attempts to contact Mr. Vance at home Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Reach Matthew Boedy at (803) 648-1395 or mboedy@augusta.com.