A work trip far from home ended in tragedy for Eric Campbell, a 51-year-old Black man from Alabama, who was shot and killed by a coworker in Providence, Rhode Island. The two men had traveled to Providence for a job assignment to work on the floors of a local Walmart.
The fatal encounter occurred in the early morning hours of July 27, 2024. Around 1:00 a.m., Providence police officers were dispatched to the Walmart on Silver Spring Street.
In the parking lot near the store's front entrance, they found a large box truck. Inside the vehicle, they discovered Eric Campbell suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency responders rushed him to Rhode Island Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
Investigators learned that Campbell and his coworker, Shawn Eric Slaughter, had gotten into a physical altercation. Police stated that the fight escalated when Slaughter pulled out a firearm and shot Campbell. Slaughter, who was 56 years old at the time, was still present at the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody.
Slaughter was arraigned on July 29, 2024, and charged with murder, possession of a firearm without a license, and using a firearm while committing a crime of violence. During the court appearance, Slaughter, who said he was hard of hearing, was seen shaking his head as the charges were read against him. He was ordered to be held without bail.
The case concluded in September 2025. Shawn Slaughter, then 57, was convicted of second-degree murder in Eric Campbell's death. He was sentenced to serve ten years in prison.
