White / Caucasian Carl Joseph Donaldson, 47, was fatally shot on July 24, 2025, at a trucking facility in the 1500 block of Fulghum Road in Wilmer, Texas. Deputies responded around 5:30 p.m., after a call reporting that he had been shot; when they arrived, they found the 47-year-old manager mortally wounded. He was later memorialized as having been “lost to gun violence” in Wilmer that day.
Witnesses and investigators alleged that the shooter was a recently hired truck driver who worked under the 47-year-old manager. The suspect, identified by authorities as Patricia Ruth Holt, 57, allegedly shot him during a work dispute and attempted to flee in a semi-truck. Deputies used stop sticks to disable the tractor-trailer, and the suspect barricaded herself inside for hours before surrendering. She was taken into custody at the scene.
Officials said Patricia Holt was arrested and charged with murder the same evening. News accounts reported that she accused her manager of work-related wrongs, and an affidavit described how deputies encountered her leaving the lot in a tractor-trailer as they arrived. Subsequent coverage noted prior history reported in public records, while authorities focused on the workplace dispute that preceded the shooting. As of the initial reports, she was the sole suspect in the killing and no other arrests had been announced.
