Foreman Andrew Little died on the scene after being shot by employee Ezequiel Lopez.What started off as a normal Wednesday morning for B&L Landscape Co. quickly turned deadly when an employee shot and killed his foreman.
The shooting took place between 6 and 7 a.m. in Jacksonville, Florida, as employees were arriving at the business. According to Lt. Steve Gallaher of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, 24-year-old Ezequiel Soriano Lopez is charged with shooting 55-year-old foreman Andrew William Little in the back.
He allegedly tried to shoot him again after a brief struggle and Little went down. Police reported that Lopez’s gun jammed and that he ran to his car. As the only entrance/exit was blocked, Lopez drove to the back of the business, where he was arrested, according to WOKV.com.
Lopez was said to have had issues with other co-workers and Little in particular. Gallaher told The Florida-Times Union that Lopez felt disrespected and treated differently by Little. He also thought that he wasn’t getting paid as much as other employees.
B&L Landscape has been in business since 1975 and is family owned, according to the company’s website. B&L specializes in landscape design and irrigation installation for both residential and commercial properties. Little had worked for the company for 20 years, while Lopez had been employed there for six years.
Lopez is being held without bond at the Duval County Jail. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office records also show he is not a legal citizen, but local authorities say any action related to his immigration status will be left up to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
