David Seiler, 46, was one of four men killed in a sudden outbreak of gunfire at the Labor Ready day-labor agency in Huntsville, Alabama, on the morning of February 25, 2003. Witnesses said an argument over a CD player inside the crowded office escalated and spilled outside; police reported Seiler was shot on the front steps, rushed to a hospital, and died during surgery. Three other men were killed and a fifth was wounded in the leg and survived.

Investigators identified 23-year-old Emanuel Burl Patterson as the gunman. Police said Patterson, who often came to the agency seeking work, pulled a gun during the dispute, opened fire, then fled. A standoff at his apartment ended with his surrender after officers evacuated nearby residents; authorities alleged shots were fired at officers during the confrontation. Patterson was arrested and charged with capital murder and attempted murder and was jailed without bond; early reports noted his attorney was considering an insanity or mental-defect defense.