Minnesota Man Allegedly Kills Co-Worker After She Rejected His Advances

At around 7 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 24, 2022, Nicole Hammond was allegedly shot by a co-worker after she turned down his romantic advances. The 28-year-old woman was apparently going to work when she was shot in the parking lot of Dubow Textile in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she worked with the suspected killer, 36-year-old Michael Jordan Carpenter.

Police responded to reports of a shooting in the parking lot. They found Hammond lying on the ground with a pool of blood surrounding her head, according to NBC News. Although responding officers attempted lifesaving measures, Hammond was ultimately declared dead at the scene.

The young woman’s autopsy revealed that she had been shot in the neck on her right side, and the bullet was retrieved from her right shoulder. The Kansas City Star reported that a single shell casing was found near her.

During the investigation, co-workers claimed that Carpenter had a bad temper, and police discovered that he had come on to Hammond multiple times in the past month. The probable cause statement said that “his advances had been repeatedly rebuffed over the course of the past month.”

Perhaps to finally get Carpenter to listen to what she had been saying, Hammond sent him a text message on the night before she died that told him that she did not want to be touched or manipulated by him. She also said that she didn’t want him to make things uncomfortable at work. Based on cell phone records, prosecutors say Carpenter was harassing Hammond.

Rob Dubow, Hammond’s boss, said the management at the company had no idea about what was going on. He told Fox 9, "Any time there is anything that requires our intervention we step in. But in this case, we had no indication that there was anything awry."

Dubow praised Hammond, saying, "Nicole always had a smile on her face, and anybody who had any association with her couldn’t help but like her."

Carpenter had fled the scene by the time police arrived. Several co-workers witnessed him arrive in the business parking lot dressed in all black on the morning of the shooting, and one witness heard the gun shot before seeing Carpenter jog to his car.

Carpenter was arrested without incident later that morning at a private residence in Sauk Rapids, reported PEOPLE. They found a 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber in his car. He also had a loaded magazine in a carrying case. The style and the brand of bullets matched the shell casing found next to Hammond.

Police said that Carpenter gave contradictory statements in his interview with investigators. He claimed to have been at the scene but said he fled because he was too traumatized after observing Hammond’s dead body. He says he left, but he didn’t call 911 or do anything to seek help.

Nicole Hammond is survived by Steve Hammond and Terri Anderson, her parents, and her siblings Amy, Chad, Troy, and Cody Hammond.

A memorial walk for Hammond is being held by Dubow Textile, Inc. on Sunday, November 13, reported KNSI. They are partnering with Anna Marie’s Alliance for the No Means No Awareness & Memorial Walk. Dubow will match donations dollar for dollar for up to $10,000 in donations, and all the funds raised will go to the organization that aims to “provide education, intervention, and advocacy to those affected by relationship abuse.”