( CNN ) -- Alton Alexander Nolen , 30 , was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the beheading of a 54-year-old woman last week at his former workplace in Oklahoma and in the stabbing attack on another woman , said Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn . Nolen was also charged with a third felony , assault with a deadly weapon , the prosecutor said . The attempted murder charge is also called assault and battery with a deadly weapon , Mashburn said . `` It is highly likely I will seek the death penalty in this case , '' he said , adding that he would first consult with the victim 's family before making his decision . Nolen , a recent convert to Islam , is accused of carrying out the attacks Thursday at a Vaughan Foods processing plant soon after he learned he 'd lost his job there . Nolen was trying `` to get revenge on certain people he felt responsible '' for his job loss , Mashburn said . The large kitchen knife used in the attack came from Nolen 's home , Mashburn said . The FBI is also investigating the attack because Nolen `` was saying Arabic terms in the attack , '' Mashburn said . Nolen 's Facebook page uses the name Jah'Keem Yisrael . The cover photo appears to be of fighters holding weapons . The postings include all-caps messages about Islam and quotations from the Quran . Gov . Mary Fallin called the attack `` an act of cowardice , brutality and barbarism . '' The Oklahoma Department of Homeland Security is also investigating the incident . `` That investigation is still ongoing , and it is unclear at this time whether the crime was an act of terrorism , workplace violence or a gruesome combination of both , '' Fallin said in a statement . The attack . Police said Nolen walked into the Vaughan Foods front office Thursday and attacked one of the first people he encountered , Colleen Hufford , 54 . He severed her head with a knife and then attacked Traci Johnson , 43 . Johnson was one of three people Nolen was targeting , authorities said , and he was n't able to reach the other two . Hufford was attacked despite not being one of the three intended targets , the prosecutor said . Court papers said Nolen grabbed Hufford from behind and `` immediately began cutting her across the throat with the large knife , with a back and forth sawing motion . '' Nolen then grabbed Johnson and `` cut her across the throat and left side of her face with the knife '' in an attempt at a second beheading , according to a police affidavit . See copy of court papers and police affidavit . Mashburn said that while Nolen was employed at the plant , he made statements `` saying he did n't like white people , '' which prompted Johnson to file a complaint with the plant 's human resources department . The 'local hero ' Mark Vaughan , the company CEO and a reserve deputy with the Oklahoma County Sheriff 's Office , confronted and twice shot Nolen , authorities said . Vaughan arrived at the plant with a rifle and shot Nolen as he was charging with knife in hand , Mashburn said . Nolen is now hospitalized , Mashburn said . Fallin called Vaughan `` a local hero ... whose whose response saved at least one life and possibly saved others . '' `` Mark 's actions also serve as a reminder that the rights outlined in the Second Amendment , which protect the ability of law-abiding citizens to carry weapons , save lives , '' the governor added . In unrelated incidents , Nolen was convicted of assault and battery on a police officer , escape from detention and possession of marijuana , all in January 2011 , according to court papers filed by prosecutors . CNN 's Javier de Diego contributed to this report .
Governor says it 's unclear whether attack was terrorism , job violence or both . Co-worker complained after Nolen spoke of not liking white people , official says . FBI involved because suspect `` was saying Arabic terms '' during attacks , official says . Alton Alexander Nolen , 30 , is charged with murder , attempted murder , assault .