In the fall of 2014, the life of 46-year-old Brian Callans was tragically cut short in a place he had dedicated 26 years of his career. On Tuesday, September 23, 2014, Callans, a business manager for UPS in Birmingham, Alabama, was shot and killed at the package-sorting facility where he worked. He and a colleague, 33-year-old driver supervisor Doug Hutcheson, were in an office when a former employee entered and opened fire.
Callans, a man known for his dedication and for having worked his way up from the bottom at UPS, was not even scheduled to be at the office that day but had gone in anyway.
The assailant was identified as 45-year-old Kerry Joe Tesney of Trussville, a UPS driver who had been with the company for 21 years. Tesney had received his termination notice just one day prior to the shooting. Dressed in his UPS uniform, Tesney gained access to the facility and specifically targeted the two supervisors, killing them before taking his own life. The tragic event unfolded after most of the day's drivers had already left the center, potentially averting an even greater loss of life.
An investigation into the motive suggested that Tesney had been troubled by his work and financial situation leading up to his dismissal. Friends and colleagues of Brian Callans remembered him as a kind and supportive person. His fiancée recalled that he had expressed sympathy for Tesney over the firing, concerned about the impact it would have on the man's family. Beyond his long career at UPS, Callans was a well-known figure in Birmingham's nightlife, often working a second job as a bartender where he was described as a role model and a friend who would do anything for anyone. In a final tribute, his remains were transported to his funeral service in a signature brown UPS van.
