Jefferson County authorities said that a Birmingham man was fatally shot at a Pinson plant Wednesday, his first day at the new job.
Shortly after midnight, John Eric Cole was shot several times at the Samuel Associated Tube Group plant that employs over 200 people.
The 29-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect, 34-year-old Dexter Rashad Walker, escaped briefly before returning back and surrendering.
According to court documents, Walker and Cole knew each other prior to the tragic incident: Cole is the stepfather of Walker’s 12-year-old son.
“My son told me that he doesn’t feel safe at the home where he resides and the stepfather has been abusing him over and over,” Walker told the court.
But in July, Walker asked the judge to dismiss the accusations, claiming that his son was no longer being abused.
