A tragic incident unfolded in Minnesota where a man allegedly attacked and killed a coworker with a sledgehammer. The suspect, identified as 40-year-old David Delong, now faces charges of second-degree murder, according to the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.

The attack took place early Tuesday morning at the Advanced Process Technologies facility in Cokato. Before dawn, Delong reportedly left his workstation and approached the area where the victim was situated. Authorities reviewing surveillance footage noted that Delong, wearing gloves, picked up a sledgehammer from the victim’s work area and launched a brutal assault.

According to the sheriff’s office, Delong initially swung the sledgehammer horizontally, targeting the woman, who appears to have been standing at that moment. The surveillance footage then shows Delong delivering four more powerful swings in a downward motion, indicating the victim was likely on the ground.

The chilling details outlined in a probable cause statement describe the attack as a deliberate and fatal assault, stating that Delong delivered multiple deadly blows to the victim’s head with the sledgehammer.

A probable cause statement puts the violent act bluntly: “The defendant bludgeoned the victim to death with multiple blows to the victim’s head with the sledgehammer.”

Delong “confessed” to killing the woman, according to authorities, telling them he “intended to kill the victim” and “admitted not liking” her. He had also “been planning to kill the victim for some time.”

Deputies responded to the worksite to find the woman on the cement floor of the building near her workstation “with very significant head trauma and substantial blood loss.” A bloody sledgehammer was on the floor near her. First responders tried to save the victim, but she died “because of blunt force trauma to her head and corresponding blood loss.”

Delong was quickly identified as a suspect. A witness reported that Delong told him something along the lines of “I hit her with your hammer, she is by your toolbox, she is gone.”

The victim was later identified as 20-year-old Amber Czech, according to Minneapolis-based NBC affiliate KARE. She was remembered as being hard-working, outgoing, and passionate about welding.

Delong was arrested and booked into the Wright County Jail. He faces up to 40 years in prison. Wright County Attorney Brian Lutes said he will review the case to consider whether to convene a grand jury in pursuit of elevating the charge to first-degree murder.

The defendant is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24.

Cokato is located about 50 miles west of Minneapolis.