A man from Alabama has been charged with killing the father of his girlfriend's children on Christmas Day, when the ex-couple met in a police department to swap the youngsters for the holidays.

Christopher Cochran is alleged to have shot the father of the children as the youngsters were watching. Mr Cochran, a resident of the city of Hamilton, has been charged with murder, according to Marion County Jail records.

The 29-year-old man joined his girlfriend before 2 pm on Tuesday when she went to the police department to pick up her two children, a boy and a girl, from their father. The police told a local news channel, that the boy got out of the car with his father, while the girl stayed behind.

When the boy and his father met up with Mr Cochran and the mother, an argument erupted between the two men. Police said the mother got between the men to try and mitigate the quarrel, but was unable to prevent Mr Cochran from pulling out his firearm and shooting the father.

The children saw their father’s death. No one else was injured by the shooting, the ABC affiliate reported. It is not clear whether Mr Cochran has been assigned a lawyer or yet had an opportunity to enter a plea.

Hamilton Police Chief Ronnie Vickery told local news stations that many divorced couples use the department’s parking lot for child custody swaps since it is considered a safe space.

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Mr Cochran’s Facebook posts show several gun-related content in the last few months, including a post he shared on how California’s background checks impact firearm-related deaths in the state.