Come get me if I'm not back in 5 minutes, woman told co-workers before shooting

Man who shot his wife and then killed himself in Collegedale had violent history

Collegedale police investigate the scene of a double shooting that left one person dead in a parking lot in front of the Game Stop store near Walmart on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2015, in Collegedale, Tenn. The red pickup truck in the foreground was involved in the incident.
Collegedale police investigate the scene of a double shooting that left one person dead in a parking lot in front of the Game Stop store near Walmart on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2015, in Collegedale, Tenn. The red pickup truck in the foreground was involved in the incident.

Before she stepped out into the parking lot of Ooltewah Crossing shopping center to talk to her estranged husband on Sunday afternoon, 24-year-old Holly Anderson told her co-workers to give her five minutes.

photo Jeffery Held, seen here in this 2009 booking photo, shot his ex-wife twice with a shotgun and then turned the gun on himself at a Collegedale shopping center Sunday afternoon.
photo Collegedale detectives Brandon Allen, left, and Kat Cooper investigate the scene of a double shooting that left one person dead in a parking lot of the Ooltewah Crossing shopping center on Sunday in Collegedale. The red pickup truck was the site of the incident.

If she wasn't back by then, she told them, come get her. Give her a reason to come back into the store.

But Anderson never made it back.

Her husband, 38-year-old Jeffery Held, shot her twice in the legs with a 12-gauge shotgun around 2:20 p.m. and then shot himself in the head. He died in the parking lot. Anderson, 24, was taken to Erlanger hospital, where police said she was in stable condition on Monday.

The two were in the middle of a divorce, according to police.

Investigators found the couple between two vehicles. Anderson was halfway under one car with severe wounds to her legs, according to the police report. Held was opposite her. A black shotgun and three spent shells lay in between.

Witnesses told the Times Free Press on Sunday that they saw Held and Anderson arguing in the parking lot before the shots rang out.

Anderson works as the assistant manager at Cato, a clothing store next to the location of the shooting. The store manager, Gemma Hardy, started a fundraiser on Monday to help pay for Anderson's health care. Anderson does not have health insurance, Hardy said.

"We're just asking that people keep her in their thoughts and prayers and, if they can, help monetarily," she said. "She's very outgoing and bubbly. She's just a lovely person to be around. She's always smiling."

Hosted on the website GoFundMe, the campaign had raised $350 by Monday afternoon.

Held had a history of domestic violence, according to court records.

In 2007, he was charged with domestic assault after his then-girlfriend told police he pushed her down on a bed, ripped her shirt off and slapped her.

The woman had red marks on her neck and bruises on her chest, according to the police report. The arresting officer noted that Held was under the influence of alcohol at the time. That charge later was dismissed on the condition that Held have no contact with the woman.

Held also had faced several other criminal charges in Hamilton County General Sessions Court between 2006 and 2009. He pleaded guilty twice to charges of driving under the influence.

Held also was charged with felony reckless endangerment after he fled from police during a routine traffic stop, ran through Hamilton Place mall and was finally apprehended with four small bags of marijuana in 2008.

The reckless endangerment charge was dismissed after Held pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance. He was placed on probation and required to pay a $250 fine.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.

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