Woman charged in workplace shooting in Henderson
CHESTER COUNTY, Tenn. — An argument between co-workers leads to gunfire inside a factory in Henderson. Police say that exchange sent a woman to the hospital with serious injuries. Another is now charged with attempted murder.
Kokeeta Lake
Seeing a number of Henderson police cars Thursday morning on East Main Street had those who work in the area suspicious.
“There was so many police cars circling around, and I was sort of wondering, ‘what’s going on?'” Patsy Stricklin, who works nearby, said.
To their surprise, a little after midnight two female employees at Quality Metal Stamping got into an argument that escalated.
“Left the building, went to their personal vehicle, retrieved a weapon and came back in, continued the verbal argument and then shot the victim,” Henderson Police Chief Wilton Cleveland said.
Chief Cleveland says Kokeeta Lake, 29, the alleged shooter, fled the scene. He says Lake was driving back to the factory when she was pulled over, officers finding the gun in her car.
“She’s been arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder,” Chief Cleveland said.
It’s not clear what the two women were arguing about or how many times the victim was shot.
“Appears maybe multiple gunshot wounds,” Chief Cleveland said. “She was transported to Jackson General and later airlifted to Regional One in Memphis.”
The victim’s name is not being released, but investigators say she was struck in the arm and lower back and is in serious but stable condition.
A handful of Quality Metal Stamping employees said they didn’t know anything about the shooting. Others said they’d been instructed not to comment.
Chief Cleveland says violence isn’t the way to solve issues at work.
“Job stress gets to people,” Chief Cleveland said. “People get into arguments and they have conflicts with co-workers. The best way is to try to settle it through management.”
Quality Metal management told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News they had no comment on the shooting.
Lake is being held in lieu of $250,000 bond in the Chester County Jail. She is scheduled to appear Friday morning for her preliminary hearing.
