'He was obsessed with her and used to track...': Man kills colleague over 'long breaks' at work even after HR's intervention

A shocking incident has occurred in Texas, US where a man has been arrested for allegedly killing his female colleague over her perceived "long breaks" at work. The accused, Travis Merrill, is believed to have been harboring resentment towards the victim for some time.

Travis Merrill is accused of ambushing and fatally shooting his coworker, Tamhara Collazo, when she returned from lunch at their workplace in Lewisville, about 48 km north of Dallas.

Merrill, who worked with Collazo at Allegiance Trucks, reportedly became obsessed with her, monitoring her breaks and feeling angry that she was avoiding him. According to a police affidavit obtained by FOX 4 Dallas, Merrill followed Collazo to her cubicle and shot her multiple times. She was taken to a nearby hospital but sadly died from her injuries.

“[Merrill] was obsessed with Collazo and began getting ever increasingly angry by her taking what he considered to be unauthorised long breaks during work hours, as well as not paying any attention to him,” reads the court document.

Authorities reported that Merrill kept track of Collazo's work routines, especially her breaks, which fueled his anger. Collazo noticed this growing concern and complained to the company's HR department. As a result, Merrill had to go through counseling before returning to work. However, his frustration increased when Collazo began to distance herself from him after the HR intervention.

In the affidavit, Merrill reportedly told police that he got firearms to bring to work and use on Collazo to "make her feel pain." He claimed he carefully planned the attack to happen in front of their coworkers, believing she had caused him pain and wanted her to feel the same. His confession revealed that the act was premeditated, driven by resentment and his unreturned obsession.

Allegiance Trucks has issued a statement expressing shock and sadness over the incident. They said, “The company is supporting the victim’s family and our employees, who thankfully were not harmed. We have closed our Lewisville office indefinitely.” The statement also mentioned that they are cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation and asked for the community’s support as they join the growing number of workplaces affected by gun violence.