The morning shift at Texarkana Aluminum started just like any other Tuesday. Folks were pulling into the lot on Alumax Drive, probably thinking about their first cup of coffee or the long day ahead. But around 6:30 a.m., things took a dark turn that nobody saw coming. A domestic dispute broke out in the parking lot, and it quickly turned into a scene out of a nightmare.
Eddie Ray Hill Jr., a 48-year-old from right here in Texarkana, had just pulled up to work when he saw trouble. He didn’t just look the other way or keep walking. He saw a man confronting a woman and decided he had to do something. Eddie stepped right into the middle of it, trying to be the peacemaker and stop the violence before it escalated.
Sadly, that brave choice cost him everything. The man he confronted was armed and dangerous. Instead of backing down, the shooter opened fire on Eddie, killing him right there in the parking lot. Eddie died a hero, putting his own life on the line to help a co-worker he saw in distress. It’s the kind of thing you hear about in movies, but for the folks in Nash, it’s a heavy reality they’re now living with.
After the shooter took Eddie’s life, he didn’t stop. He turned his sights on his wife, 37-year-old Candis Jolene Champion, who was the focus of his anger that morning. He shot her, leaving her with critical injuries that had everyone fearing the worst. The sounds of gunfire shattered the early morning quiet, leaving the employees at the factory in total shock.
The whole thing ended as quickly as it started. Once the shooter had done his damage, he turned the gun on himself and ended his own life. When the Nash Police got to the scene, they found two men dead and a woman clinging to life. It was a grisly scene for a small town that isn’t used to this kind of heartbreak.
Candis was rushed to a hospital in Texarkana, and the latest word is that she’s in stable condition. She’s got a long road ahead of her, both physically and emotionally, after surviving such a terrifying ordeal. The community is pulling for her, hoping she can find some peace after a morning that changed her life forever.
The Nash Police Department is still looking into the details, but they’ve made it clear they aren’t looking for anyone else. They sent out their deepest sympathies to the families involved and to everyone at Texarkana Aluminum. It’s a somber reminder of how quickly a normal day can turn tragic, and how one man’s bravery will be remembered by a town in mourning.
