HOUSTON – A man accused of killing his boss over an argument appeared in court Tuesday morning to face a murder charge.
Tyrone Auzenne, who was booked, fingerprinted and ordered held on a $50,000 bond, is charged with the murder of Michael Vaughn, 55, of Humble.
Auzenne is accused of fatally shooting his boss Monday at the city of Houston's solid waste plant.
Auzenne walked out of the Harris County Jail Tuesday evening after posting $50,000 bond.
"I'm not doing too well, but it is what it is," Auzenne said.
Auzenne wouldn't talk about the charges against him.
"I don't want to be disrespectful. I just don't want to talk right now. You'll have to wait to speak to my lawyer," he said.
Auzenne told police that he had been picked on at work. Police said that after an argument with Vaughn, Auzenne retrieved a gun from his bag and shot Vaughn several times.
Police said they received a report of shots fired at around 9:30 a.m. Monday
"At that time officers arrived, they saw a male coming out of the building, and he did have a gun," John Cannon, of the Houston Police Department, said.
Investigators said Auzenne was composed and was eventually arrested. The gun was recovered.
Police later discovered the body of Vaughn.
Police said the shooting happened on the second floor. They believe that Auzenne went into Vaughn's office and fired multiple rounds, hitting and killing him.
"This was just the target of one man targeting another man. In this case, an individual shooting his boss," Cannon said.
Police aren't sure if the two had a history of disagreements, but they're talking with other employees to find out what happened.
Auzenne was a fairly high-ranking employee within the city of Houston's Solid Waste Department. Online databases of public employees show that Auzenne was earning about $83,000 year as a senior superintendent.
In 2014, he represented the city at a large industry trade show and conference.
His LinkedIn page mentions repeatedly that his duties are to assist the boss who he is accused of killing.
"I look forward to challenges that take me out of my comfort zone. I myself more than anything believe in self accountability," a statement on his professional LinkedIn page reads.
Police said about 10 employees were on duty at the time of the shooting.
"Obviously, they're shaken up, because it's people they've been working with for years, and there's only a handful of them in there," Cannon said.
No one else was injured.
Mayor Annise Parker released a statement Monday that read: "My heart is aching over the news of this morning's shooting at a City Department of Solid Waste facility. It's another senseless incident of workplace violence that has left a family without a loved one, torn apart the shooter's family and had an indelible impact on the workers who were there to witness it. The City intends to provide counseling opportunities for those workers. In the meantime, I send condolences to the victim's family and urge everyone to keep them in your thoughts and prayers."