Arizona trucker sentenced for trying to kill former boss after quitting job

PHOENIX (TCN) -- A 34-year-old trucker will spend almost three decades behind bars for shooting at the president of the company where he had recently worked.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced Aug. 8 that Zane Hammond pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 29 years in prison.

Prosecutors said the defendant, a commercial truck driver based in Tucson, "abruptly quit" his job following a minor customer dispute, and he "set out to confront the company’s leadership."

According to the attorney’s office, Hammond drove to the Phoenix headquarters armed with a gun, went into the president’s office, and fired at him. Prosecutors called it a "violent and premeditated attack."

The victim reportedly flipped his desk and took cover, "narrowly" avoiding injury. Authorities said Hammond then aimed the gun toward the company’s vice president and tried to load another round, but the executive tackled the defendant. The vice president reportedly disarmed Hammond and then restrained him in a chokehold until police arrived.

County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said the defendant "drove to Phoenix with a shotgun and a mission to kill. That’s not rage; that’s premeditation."

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