Updates:
The story link I posted on 12 Oct 17 notes that the jury recommended the death penalty (along with three life sentences and 130 years). Nolen was formally sentenced on 15 Dec 17 to death by lethal injection, plus the life sentences and additional prison time. The death sentence will be automatically appealed.
https://kfor.com/2017/12/15/may-god-hav ... -coworker/
Since then I have been reading the book
Surviving a Mass Killer Rampage by Chris Bird and Massad Ayoob. It contains an account of this murder, and includes some details about Mark Vaughan, the man who shot Alton Nolen and stopped his butchering spree attempt.
Vaughan was the son of the man who founded the company, and had been its CEO when he sold the company sold to another corporation. Vaughan remained as Chief Operating Officer, and he was also a reserve deputy with the county sheriff's office. All deputies, reserve and full time, were given active shooter training. Vaughan is also a NRA instructor.
When Vaughan still owned the company he permitted employees with a license to carry handguns on company property, but when he sold the company the new corporate management forbid firearms on the property. At the time of the attack, Vaughan did not have a firearm on his person or in his office. He was notified by the head of security -- armed with an expandable ASP baton -- of the attack. Vaughan ran out to his car and got a vest with the labels "Sheriff" on it which he had purchased himself. The vest also carried rifle magazines and first aid supplies. He also picked up his AR-15, semi-auto version, which was loaded with FMJ. For operational use the sheriff's deputies used soft point rounds, but apparently he had been practicing and the rifle was still loaded with FMJ.
When he confronted Alton Nolen, Nolen charged with a knife in his hand. At about 15 feet of separation Vaughan fired one round, at which point Nolen hesitated, then continued to charge. Vaughan fired two more rounds and Nolen stopped, leaned against a wall, and then slid down to the floor but apparently remained conscious. The security guy used his baton to knock away the knife. An on duty sheriff's deputy arrived about 90 seconds later.
The first round Vaughan fired hit Nolen as he was turned sideways and cut a 1/2 inch groove across the upper part of his chest, from side to side. One of the next two rounds missed and the other went through Nolen's arm, then through his lower abdomen, then exited his body.