Waterford business owner says alleged shooter was nice guy, liked by everyone

A day after a man identified as Vernest James Griffin allegedly went on a shooting spree that left two dead at businesses in Taylor and Pontiac, the owner of a third business that was targeted for more carnage was still trying to process the close call his company experienced – apparently at the hands of a former employee he described as a nice guy who got along well with everyone.

“He was a good worker. Everybody liked him,” said Dale Verhey, owner of Assured Carriers in Waterford. “I’m totally shocked, everybody here is just in shock. It’s going to take awhile to process this.”

Griffin, 45, left on good terms when he quit his job as a local trucker for Assured Carriers about two years ago, Verhey said. And no one had any contact with him since – until Thursday morning when he walked through the company’s back door carrying an AK-47, then went to the office of Nick Verhey, Dale’s son, and asked for the general manager.

That’s when Nick Verhey slammed his office door, jumped out the window and called 9-1-1.

“He was here to kill (the general manager), I’m 100 percent convinced of it,” Dale Verhey said.

Prior to Griffin arriving at Assured Carriers shortly before noon, it’s alleged he shot and killed Keith Kitchen, 60, at BSD Linehaul in Taylor where he used to work, then stole a semi-truck and drove to Aluminum Blanking in Pontiac, where he shot and killed Eriberto Perez, 58. He drove away, and after shootouts with Waterford police at two different locations, was taken into custody at about noon. He had surgery Thursday and is expected to survive.

Griffin is listed as an inmate at the Oakland County Jail with a homicide charge.

“We feel so bad for the previous places he visited,” Verhey said. “Assured Carriers were the lucky ones on this.”

On Friday, grief counselors and two pastors were at Aluminum Blanking to help employees deal with the aftermath of the deadly attack.

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