JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An Orange Park man shot and killed a manager Monday outside Old Dominion Freight Line on Jacksonville's Westside, and then traveled to Mississippi and shot a manager outside another freight business Tuesday night, according to Richland (Mississippi) Police Chief Russel James.
Police said the shooter, Alfred Tankersley, 50, was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Police said Tankersley killed Marty Coffey, 50, as Coffey arrived at work on Scotia Road near Cassat Avenue and I-10 in Jacksonville about 6:30 a.m. Monday morning. Coffey got out of his vehicle and was approached by Tankersley, who shot Coffey and drove away in a small, white vehicle, police said.
Coffey, who died at the scene, was a manager at Old Dominion, but worked for years at Southeastern Freight Trucking Company in Richland, Mississippi, which is near Jackson.
The day after Coffey was killed, Tankersley shot and wounded another man about 6 p.m. Tuesday near Southeastern Trucking, James said. He used a 9mm handgun, police said.
James said Tankersley, who was an account manager for years at Southeastern Trucking, targeted the two men after it appears he was fired by the managers two years ago. It's unclear why Tankersley was fired.
James said Tankersley drove the eight hours and 45 minutes from Jacksonville to Southeastern Trucking and waited outside for the second victim. He shot the man several times.
"It's one of those terrifying scenes," James said at news conference Wednesday. "You don't know what could have actually happened, but thank the good Lord it didn't happen. We don't know if he was the only target, or if he intended to do more harm."
The victim, who is from Atlanta, escaped and drove to the police department for help. He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, but is expected to be OK, police said.
"They said the victim, who in their shooting was still alive, referenced something to them when he was transported to the hospital, and I guess they got online at that point, and so we had a shooting prior (to that) and that's when they contacted us," JSO spokeswoman Officer Melissa Bujeda said.
Jacksonville detectives will head to Mississippi on Thursday to learn more about the connection in the cases.
"We are still asking for information (locally)," Bujeda said. "Asking anyone who has information in reference to this case to help us piece together all of the specific details."
Tankersley’s Orange Park home was empty when News4Jax went by Wednesday afternoon.
His next-door neighbor said police also paid the home a visit.
"He lived by himself. No women. No kids," Sony St. Fleur said. "I am very surprised I was living next to a criminal."
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said police didn't have enough evidence to go into the house immediately, and need to get a warrant.
"They'll be able to get a search warrant and present to the judge about the homicide that occurred, get a warrant to search the premises," Smith said. "They want to go inside and search the premises to make sure someone is not dead, because he did kill someone and go travel out of state to (attempt) to kill someone else. Someone inside could have been killed."
Smith said police may be able to find something in his home that could reveal his motive.
"They want to find out what he may have done prior to this, what he may have been planning to do, just to give them an idea of what this guy was going to do. He may have been fired a while back, but he was still angry," Smith said.
Records show Tankersley has lived all over the country, and just recently moved to Florida from the Atlanta area. News4Jax has not found any criminal record for him.
Loved ones remember Coffey
Sources told News4Jax that Coffey was a U.S. Army veteran who lives in Nassau County. He had been a manager at the freight company for at least two years.
News4Jax was told Coffey was a great husband, father and grandfather.
"This is truly one of those cases that has tugged on everyone's heartstrings," Bujeda said.
Coffey’s family said Wednesday that they did not want to comment about the investigation into his shooting.
Old Dominion released a statement about the shooting on its Facebook page:
We are deeply saddened by the horrific event this morning at our Jacksonville, Florida, service center. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family as well as all of the Old Dominion family members located in our Jacksonville location, as they cope with this tragedy.
At this time, we are fully cooperating with the local authorities to help with the investigation.