Mark Vaughn was able to stop Alton Nolen's violent rampage through an Oklahoma food distribution warehouse by shooting him with a rifle.
Vaughn came upon Nolen while he was brutally attacking his coworkers. He then shot Nolen and ended his attack, according to KFOR.
Sgt. Jeremy Lewis says the alleged suspect, 30-year-old Alton Nolen had just been fired when he drove to the front of the business, hit a vehicle and walked inside.
He walked into the front office area where he met 54-year-old Colleen Hufford and began attacking her with a knife.
Police have said that Nolen, who reportedly converted to Islam recently and had tried to convert others, beheaded his first victim.
Lewis confirms that Hufford was stabbed several times and that Nolen "severed her head."
He then started stabbing a second woman. As the second stabbing was ongoing Vaughn arrived at the scene and shot Nolen.
Officials say at that point, Mark Vaughn, an Oklahoma County reserve deputy and a former CEO of the business, shot him as he was actively stabbing Johnson.
"He’s a hero in this situation," Sgt. Lewis said, referring to Vaughn. "It could have gotten a lot worse."
WTVR reports that Mark Vaughn is both an employee of the company Nolen attacked and a police officer. He was off duty at the time of the attack.
The person who shot and injured Nolen was the company’s chief operating officer, Mark Vaughn, who also is a Oklahoma County reserve sheriff’s deputy.
The woman Nolen was stabbing when Vaughn shot him is reportedly alive and in stable condition. She is expected to survive, according to NewsOK.
The second victim in the attack was Traci Johnson, 43. Her injuries are not thought to be life-threating.