Man shows up for first day on the job, gets killed by co-worker, Alabama cops say

A man working his first day on the job was fatally shot multiple times by a co-worker in Pinson, Alabama, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim was identified as John Eric Cole, 29, and he and the suspect knew each other, according to the Associated Press.

It happened shortly after midnight on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at a business on Red Hollow Road in Pinson, which is just north of Birmingham, officials said.

The company has been identified as Samuel Associated Tube Group by media outlets. A business website describes it as a “metals and industrial products manufacturer.”

“Upon arrival deputies found the body of a male employee at the business who had been shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel,” deputies said in a news release.

“This was the victim’s first day on the job. The circumstances surrounding the reason for the shooting are still under investigation.”

The suspect, who also works at the company, was identified as 34-year-old Dexter Rashad Walker of Center Point, Alabama, officials said.

Walker surrendered when deputies arrived and was taken to the Jefferson County Jail, officials said.

He has been charged with murder, according to jail records. No bond has been set in the case.

The two men had been involved in a legal dispute, according to the Associated Press.

“Walker accused Cole, his son’s stepfather, in March of choking the 12-year-old boy and making threats two months earlier,” the AP reported. “A judge issued a temporary order requiring Cole and the boy’s mother to stay away from Walker, who then asked a judge in July to dismiss the case because he felt the child no longer was in danger.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Man shows up for first day on the job, gets killed by co-worker, Alabama cops say."