ST. CLOUD, Minn. – A woman in Minnesota was gunned down outside her workplace after she “repeatedly” rejected a co-worker’s constant advances, according to reports.
Jordan Carpenter, 36, is accused of fatally shooting 28-year-old Nicole Hammond in the parking lot of their St. Cloud workplace on Oct. 24, police said.
After reportedly shooting Hammond in the neck, Carpenter fled the scene. However, he was tracked down about three hours later hiding in a residence in nearby Sauk Rapids, according to a statement by the St. Cloud Police Department.
At the time he was taken into custody, Carpenter was in possession of a handgun. He was subsequently arrested and booked for murder, the New York Post reported.
One day prior to the homicide, Hammond texted the overly persistent pursuer that she did not want to be touched or manipulated by him, a probable cause statement obtained by the Kansas City Star revealed.
The woman “repeatedly” rejected Carpenter’s romantic advances in the month leading up to the violent murder. She asked him “not to make things uncomfortable at work,” police noted.
Nicole Hammond died after she was shot in the neck outside her place of employment. (Facebook/SavannahShawn Townley)
Investigators discovered a text Hammond sent to a friend saying Carpenter was angry at her.
Other co-workers said the harassment was apparent and that Carpenter has a “bad temper.” He reportedly acknowledged to officers that he was “upset” about Hammond’s repeated rejections the night prior to the fatal shooting, according to the Star.
Although Carpenter admitted walking toward Hammond’s car when the shooting occurred, he denied being the triggerman. He said he ran since he was “too traumatized” after seeing Hammond’s body.
Law enforcement authorities said, “He didn’t render aid, go to work, nor did he call 9-1-1.”
Co-worker Jordan Carpenter is accused of fatally shooting Nicole Hammond. (Benton County Jail)
Even though the ongoing harassment was apparent, it was never reported to their employer, Dubow Textile Inc., CEO Rob Dubow told Fox 9.
“Unfortunately, we had no idea,” said Dubow. “Any time there is anything that requires our intervention, we step in. But in this case, we had no indication that there was anything awry.”
One of Hammond’s supervisors fondly remembered her as a “beautiful, smart, determined young woman.”
“You deserved to live your best life but instead got your life taken from you,” Savannah Shawn Townley shared on Facebook. “Our team is forever broken without you. Fly High Angel!”
