PICKENS — Hours after Pickens attorney Redmond Coyle was shot and killed, a former partner of his said he was still in “absolute shock.”

Police say the shooting took place in downtown Pickens, in the parking lot behind Coyle’s office at 303 E. Main St.

“It’s an absolute shock. I’m sitting here, and I just can’t believe it,” said Pickens attorney James Alexander, a former partner of Coyle’s who had worked with him for 16 years.

The two worked together from 1986-2002. They had a general practice law firm, and Coyle mostly worked on family court and social security.

“(He was) one of the best social security lawyers in the Upstate,” Alexander said.

Alexander described Coyle as a family man who worked hard, who could be soft spoken at times, and who kept a dry sense of humor.

“Business wise, Redmond was an excellent lawyer,” Alexander said. “He was very ethical and had a lot of integrity, and a good lawyers. He represented his clients very well.”

But Redmond didn’t allow his profession to keep him from his family or being involved in his church, Alexander said.

“He was a Christian man, very active in his church,” he said. Coyle taught a class at Rock Springs Baptist Church, where he had been attending for the past few years.

Pickens Mayor David Owens was also good friends with Coyle.

He said he had known the attorney for more than 30 years, first meeting him at church.

“We watched each other’s kids grow up, and our youngest sons hung out together,” Owens said.

The Pickens mayor described Coyle as a man of God who was also good at his job as an attorney.

“He was good at what he did,” Owens said. “Most people hoped he was on their side, and I’m sure, being the Christian man that he was, that he probably helped a lot of people who could not afford an attorney.”

Owens said he will miss Coyle, the community will miss him, and his many clients will miss him.

“It’s a shame this happened,” he said. “It was tragic and uncalled for.”

Sandy Foster contributed to this article.