Man kills colleague after HR intervenes during breaks

Authorities in Texas, United States, have linked a brutal workplace shooting that claimed the life of a 51-year-old woman to the suspect’s obsession and anger over her “unauthorized breaks”. Travis Merrill is suspected of ambushing and killing his colleague, Tamhara Collazo, when she returned from lunch.

Merrill, Collazo’s colleague at Allegiance Trucks, allegedly followed her around the office, obsessing over her breaks and becoming enraged at her apparent avoidance. Merrill followed Collazo to her cabin, opened fire and shot her multiple times, according to a police affidavit obtained by local station FOX 4 Dallas. She died from her injuries after being transported to a local hospital.

The court document states that “(Merrill) was obsessed with Collazo and became increasingly angry that she was taking what he considered to be long unauthorized breaks during work hours, as well as not giving her no attention.” Authorities revealed that Merrill meticulously tracked Collazo’s daily routines, documenting the dates and duration of her breaks, a fixation that escalated into intense anger.

Collazo’s growing concerns caught her attention, prompting her to report the situation to the company’s human resources department. As a result, Merrill was mandated to undergo counseling before returning to work. Unfortunately, this intervention seemed to exacerbate the tension, as Collazo began to distance himself further from him.

In her affidavit, Merrill allegedly told police she purchased the firearms with the intention of bringing them to work to “make her feel pain.” He claimed that he had meticulously planned the attack to take place in front of colleagues, expressing his belief that Collazo had caused him distress and that he wanted her to experience the same. His confession revealed a premeditated act driven by a mixture of resentment and unrequited obsession.

Allegiance Trucks has since issued a statement, reported by Fox News, expressing shock and grief. The company said it was offering support to Collazo’s family and employees, all of whom were thankfully unharmed, and closed its Lewisville office indefinitely. The statement also noted, “We are working closely with law enforcement during their ongoing investigation and ask for the community’s support as our company unfortunately joins the growing national community of workplaces affected by gun violence.”