Thirty-year-old Alton Nolen is accused of beheading one of his co-workers and slashing another using a knife at Vaughan Foods in Moore, Okla. on Sept. 25. The suspect is a Muslim convert also known as Jah'Keem Yisrael.
The company's chief operating officer fired a shot at Nolen to stop him. He is now recovering at a hospital. His victims were identified as Colleen Hufford, 54, who was killed in the incident and Traci Johnson, 43, who was injured. Johnson was brought to OU Medical Center and was released after receiving treatment.
Joyce and Megan, Alton Nolen's mother and sister respectively, recorded a video to express their remorse about the incident and to apologize to the victims' families.
"My heart is just so heavy right now," said Joyce Nolen. "That's not my son. My son was raised up believing in God. That's what he believes. His family, our hearts bleed right now because [of] what they [are] saying Alton has done. I want to apologize to both families -- because this is not Alton."
The video played for one minute and 38 seconds. It was dimly lit and recorded inside what looked like a residence. Though they didn't say their names, their identities were confirmed by Paige Nolen, another sister of Alton Nolen.
"We are all very remorseful," said Paige Nolen. "If he had a chance to say anything, more than likely he would be apologizing, and that's what we want the world to know."
The suspect has a history of three felony convictions. These include drug offenses and an assault on a trooper from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. After two years of being in community corrections centers and Oklahoma prisons, the suspect was released last year.
Though he was an ex-convict, Alton Nolen was able to find work at the Moore food processing plant.
"He was so happy when he got the job," said Paige Nolen. "He was really happy because everyone he talked to told him it's going to be hard getting a job with the felonies. I'll never forget, you know, him feeling like he conquered it at that time."
According to the police, the incident began when Alton Nolen became very angry after he was fired from the job. He will likely be charged in the Cleveland County District Court. Moore police Sgt. Jeremy Lewis stated that Alton Nolen could be taken to prison at the beginning of the week.
