US woman shot dead by colleague for taking 'long breaks' during office hours

In a tragic incident last week, a 51-year-old woman was reportedly shot dead by an obsessed male colleague in an office building in Lewisville, Texas, because she was taking “long breaks” from work.

The victim, identified as Tamhara Collazo, was taken to a hospital by Lewisville Police but succumbed to her injuries.

The defendant, Travis Merrill, 51, was arrested Thursday after police said he shot Collazo at her desk at Allegiance Trucks.

During an interrogation by police, Merrill told them that “he became obsessed with Collazo and became increasingly angry because she took unauthorized long breaks during work hours and did not pay attention to him,” an arrest warrant affidavit states.

After several months, Collazo ordered Merrill to stop watching her during breaks and also reported his behavior to human resources. He was asked to consult with a counselor before being approved to return to work, the affidavit said.

Merrill also told police that Collazo intentionally avoided him after he returned to work, further fueling his anger.

After that, he started buying weapons and practicing with them at home.

He also brought the weapons to work several times, but didn't use them because he “didn't feel like timing it.”

On the day of the murder, Merrill followed Collazo into the parking lot while she was on her lunch break. He watched her sit in her car as usual and then went to his vehicle to retrieve two revolvers.

“When she re-entered after lunch, he followed her into her cabin, assaulted her and fired the weapon several times,” the affidavit states.

The shooting was witnessed by two dozen colleagues.

Merrill later turned himself in to police when they arrived.

The defendant is currently being held in the Denton County Jail on murder charges.