Texas man sentenced for sneaking firearm into workplace and fatally shooting 1 person

BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (TCN) -- A man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for hiding a handgun in his cooler, going to work, and firing the gun multiple times, killing one person.

The Brazos County District Attorney’s Office said a jury sentenced Larry Bollin on July 21 to life in prison, and he’ll have to pay a $10,000 fine in connection with the death of Timothy Smith. Bollin was previously convicted of murder.

According to prosecutors, on April 8, 2021, Bollin hid a firearm in his lunch cooler and went to work at Kent Moore Cabinets. Following his afternoon break, he reportedly took the gun out and fired multiple shots "directly at Smith without provocation or warning."

The district attorney’s office said the defendant then "fired at least 20 shots in various directions," shooting Walter Vega, Juan Ordonez, Isidoro Leal, and Juan Uribe. Another man, Nathan Whited, reportedly tried to intervene and asked Bollin why he shot the victims in the warehouse, to which the defendant replied, "I’ll show you why."

According to prosecutors, Bollin "reloaded his firearm and shot Whited multiple times," including in the back while he was on the floor. Whited was hospitalized for his injuries.

Following the shootings, Bollin purportedly fled to his residence. A trooper, Juan Tovar, tried to apprehend him at his house, and Bollin shot him in the left eye. Tovar, who lost the eye, retreated to his vehicle.

The district attorney’s office noted that the mothers of Whited and Ordonez addressed the jury and described "how their relatives have suffered physically since the shooting."

In a statement, prosecutors said, "Brazos County was changed forever by this defendant’s actions. The jury protected us all today when they sentenced Larry Bollin to life."

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