One year after shooting, Mueller dedicates memorial to two killed at Albertville plant
One year ago Wednesday, the Albertville-Boaz communities were shocked to learn that two Mueller Water Products employees were dead at the hands of a co-worker, and two others were seriously injured in a shooting during the plant's night shift.
On the anniversary of that tragedy, the company dedicated a memorial to the two employees lost in the attack.
"One year ago today, our Mueller family lost two employees — Michael Lee Dobbins and David Lee Horton," corporate Communications Director Robin Keegan said in a statement. "It was a terrible tragedy, and we remain heartbroken for their families, friends, coworkers and community."
The company dedicated the memorial, designed and built by the Albertville team to express sorrow for the loss the two employees and to show respect to their families, in services at 1:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
“This beautiful memorial does bring back incredibly difficult memories”, Albertville plant Manager Mike Lang said. “However, what has really touched my heart this year is the incredible strength and compassion of our plant team and the extraordinary support from Albertville and the surrounding communities.”
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The shooting took place at about 2:30 a.m. on June 15, 2021. Both of the men killed were from Boaz. Horton had joined Mueller in 2016 and was a foundry helper. Dobbins had joined Mueller in November 2020 as a foundry utility painter.
The two injured men were both from Albertville. Casey Sampson joined Mueller in 2018, and is a foundry helper; Isaac Byrd had been employed since February 2021, as a foundry painter.
Andreas Deon Horton. identified by authorities as the shooter, fled the scene and his body, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was found three and a half hours later in a vehicle on Carlisle Street in Guntersville, near a cemetery where some of his family members are buried.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Mueller partnered with the National Compassion Fund to raise money to assist those affected by the shooting. Starting with a $100,000 donation from the company, the fund raised $500,124.86, and according to its website, distributed 100% of those donations to 14 beneficiaries, victims, survivors and families.
Funds were distributed in three categories: on behalf of those who died in the attack; to those who were physically injured in the assault; and to those who were present and experienced psychological trauma.
Mueller Water Products will be celebrating its 165th anniversary this fall; its core product is fire hydrants.
Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Albertville plant dedicates memorial to employees slain one year ago
