Orizon Industries is a Brookshire, Texas-based division of Spitzer Industries, a custom steel fabricator that manufactures specialized equipment primarily for the oil and gas industry.
On Wednesday night, 34-year-old contract worker Evan Parker fatally stabbed 64-year-old plant manager Harry Parnell. According to the local NBC affiliate, Parker also stabbed 36-year-old co-worker Jose Rangel, who was rushed to the hospital after sustaining serious injuries.
Local authorities believe that Parnell was the target and the attack on Rangel was random.
After the incident, Parker fled the facility and, as of press time, had yet to be apprehended by authorities.
According to Spitzer Chief Operating Officer Milo Thibeadeau, Parnell had been with the company for more than 20 years. Parker had only been on the job for about six to eight months as a quality manager.
According to a report from the Associated Press, Thibeadeau wasn't aware of any prior problems between the plant manager and the alleged murderer.
Thibeadeau believes that the altercation started in an office and spilled into the workshop. Rangel, the injured employee, worked as a fitter in the workshop.
According to Thibeadeau, Parnell was “highly respected” by his co-workers. He added that the company has more than 1,000 employees, about 100 were working at the time of the incident, and this is the first time that the company has lost an employee.
Update: Evan Parker was apprehended on Thursday afternoon. According to KTRK-TV, he confessed and stated that he felt picked on at work. Parnell was reportedly planning on retiring this year.
