NASH, Texas — A tragic shooting at a Texarkana-area factory parking lot left two men dead and a woman critically injured Tuesday morning after a convicted murderer, recently released on parole, opened fire during a domestic dispute, authorities said.
The incident happened around 6:30 a.m. at Texarkana Aluminum, located on Alumax Drive in Nash, Texas. When Nash Police officers arrived, they discovered two deceased men and one critically injured woman at the scene.
Investigators identified the shooter as Wendell Lane Champion Jr., 40, of Hope, Arkansas. Police said the violence began as a domestic confrontation involving Champion and his wife, Candis Jolene Champion, 37, who works at the plant.
During the dispute, Eddie Ray Hill Jr., 48, of Texarkana, Texas, reportedly attempted to step in and stop the confrontation after arriving at work. Hill was shot and killed while trying to intervene.
After fatally shooting Hill, authorities say Champion then turned the gun on his wife, seriously wounding her, before taking his own life. Candis Champion was rushed to a hospital in Texarkana. Police confirmed she is currently in stable condition, though her full medical status has not been released.
Public records revealed Champion had a lengthy criminal history. He was convicted of first-degree murder in Harris County in 2010 and was released on parole in 2025. The conviction stemmed from a 2007 robbery and shooting in Houston where 57-year-old security officer Luis A. Ayala was shot in the leg and later died.
Police confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the public, and no other suspects are being sought. The investigation remains ongoing.
The Nash Police Department expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the Texarkana Aluminum employees impacted by the tragedy.
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