She Took a Loaded Gun to School When She Was 18. Decades Later, She Allegedly Shot Her Boss in the Head By Chris Spargo

A Texas woman accused of murdering her boss was previously convicted for an incident involving a gun and an authority figure.

Deputies with the Dallas Sheriff’s Office arrested Patricia Ruth Holt, 57, after she allegedly shot Carl Donaldson, 47, in the head, according to a copy of the affidavit for arrest warrant obtained by PEOPLE.

Carl worked as the safety manager at Sun Transportation Systems, where Holt had been employed as a tractor-trailer driver for a little over a month.

This is not the first time Holt has found herself facing criminal charges, having previously pled guilty to attempted assault in the first degree. This came after she brought a loaded shotgun to her high school in 1986 following threats to kill her teacher, according to New York state court filings.

Dispatchers in Texas got a call from the wife of the shooting victim, Tonya Donaldson, at approximately 5:35 p.m. on July 24, 2025.

Tonya “stated that her husband had been shot in the head but was still breathing,” the affidavit said.

Deputy Sanchez wrote in the affidavit that he and another deputy arrived on the scene at 5:46 p.m.to find Holt leaving the lot where the shooting occurred in a white tractor-trailer truck.

Holt managed to make her way out of the lot despite attempts to stop her, at which point deputies said they put down spike strips which punctured the back tires of the tractor-trailer truck.

Holt continued to drive the disabled vehicle but only made it 1,000 feet before being forced to come to a stop, according to the affidavit.

At that point, Holt refused to exit the vehicle, saying her plan was to kill herself or attempt suicide by cop, the affidavit said.

“The suspect said that they have been f—ing with her for too long and she has been waiting for two years to get paid for a job,” Dep. Sanchez wrote in the affidavit.

A hostage negotiator eventually managed to get Holt to surrender at 7:08 p.m., a little over an hour after Carl was declared dead on the scene at 6:06 p.m.

The Daily Freeman first reported on Holt’s previous arrest back in September 1986.

She attended Red Hook High School at the time, and after being dismissed from class for being disruptive, she was sent home and returned with a 12-gauge loaded shotgun.

The teacher was not in school when she returned and faculty members were able to tackle and disarm Holt when she next went to the lounge.

She was given five years probation.

Holt remains in jail after a judge set her bail at $1,000,000. She has not entered a plea and does not have an attorney at this time.