Oklahoma Beheading : Alton Nolen fired from job decapitates colleague

A worker who had recently tried to convert colleagues to Islam beheaded one of them in a knife rampage after being dismissed from his job in Oklahoma state, according to US police.

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Alton Nolen, attacked another colleague with the knife before being shot by the Oklahoma food-distribution firm’s head – who was hailed a hero by police.

The FBI is investigating the background of the suspect after coworkers told investigators he recently started trying to convert other employees to the Muslim religion.

After severing the head of Colleen Hufford, police say 30-year-old Alton Nolen tried to kill another woman, Traci Johnson.

Shortly before 4:30 pm Thursday, authorities received multiple reports of a shooting or stabbing at Vaughn Foods distribution warehouse.

According to officials with the Moore Police Department, Nolen was attacking Johnson when an off-duty sheriff’s deputy – Mark Vaughn – who also happens to be the chief operating officer at Vaughn Foods, shot him.

Police are calling Vaughn’s actions heroic, saying Nolen would not have stopped the attacks if Vaughn hadn’t stopped him.

Nolen and Traci Johnson were transported to Oklahoma University Hospital, where they are now in stable condition.

“Mark Vaughn, who is the Chief Operating Officer of Vaughn Foods and is also a Oklahoma County Reserve Deputy confronted Nolen and at that time shot him, and stopped the threat and the assault that was taking place,” said Sgt. Jeremy Lewis, Moore Police. “This off duty deputy definitely saved Traci’s life. This was not going to stop if he didn’t stop it. So we are looking him, he’s obviously a hero in this situation.”

Lewis added, “After conducting interviews with coworkers of Nolen, information was obtained that he recently started trying to convert some of his coworkers to the Muslim religion.”

Agencies/Canadajournal