An Arlington business owner is facing a murder charge after police said he fatally shot an employee who was just fired Tuesday afternoon.
Police arrested Javier Arredondo, 42, and booked him into the Arlington City Jail. Tarrant County court records show his bail has not yet been set on the murder charge, and it’s not clear if he has an attorney.
A little after 2 p.m. Tuesday, Arlington police received a 911 call from Arredondo in the 900 block of West Division Street asking for help with an employee he had just fired who was refusing to leave the store, the deparent said in a news release. As officers were on their way, they received reports that shots were fired at the store.
When officers arrived, they found the employee, a 46-year-old man, unresponsive inside with an apparent gunshot wound, police said. The man, who was not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers learned Arredondo and the employee had a tense verbal exchange after the employee was fired. Minutes after making the 911 call, police said, Arredondo pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots at the employee, striking him.
No one else was inside the business during the shooting, police said, as Arredondo asked his other employees to leave during the exchange. Police found no weapons on the employee and added it doesn’t appear he tried to physically assault Arredondo.
The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office will identify the employee once his next of kin has been notified, police said. No additional information about what led up to the shooting was immediately shared.
