Disgraced Kentucky constable who shot suspected shoplifter in Walmart parking lot takes plea deal

Scene of shooting at Louisville Walmart

(UPDATED -- See below)

On November 2 of 2011, an off-duty Jefferson County Constable, David Whitlock, was at a Louisville, Kentucky Walmart when, according to him, Walmart security asked for his help in apprehend a suspected shoplifter.  

Whitlock tried to apprehend the woman, Tammy Ortiz, in the parking lot.  The woman tried to drive away, apparently running over Whitlock's foot, when he opened fire on her with his firearm, striking her in the arm and face.

HERE is video of the shooting, from Walmart parking lot security cameras.

Constable David Whitlock

Ortiz was never charged.

Whitlock, already in hot water for having stolen goods, was charged for the shooting and has accepted a plea deal that includes resignation from his position.

Whitlock also sued the city and the police department for defamation.

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UPDATE (6/23/13):  According to an article, Whitlock is leaving law enforcement, but may be trying to open his own security business.

UPDATE (3/4/14):  Defying belief, this disgraced shooter has now decided to run for a political position, on Metro Council, having apparently finished his probation.

Walmart in Indiana forced to remove tactical shotgun and high-powered ammo it had agreed not to sell

Tactical shotgun sold at South Bend Walmart against city agreement

Occurred October 9, 2012.

The Walmart in South Bend, Indiana, had an agreement with the city that they would not sell tactical shotguns or .233-caliber high-powered ammunition, which is capable of piercing a police-officer's protective vest.

The Walmart sold them anyways.

Then some boys were approached by a man who offered them money if they would steal the ammo from the Walmart.  The boys reported this to their pastor, who took action to enforce the city's policy with Walmart.  

Walmart complied and removed the shotguns and .233 ammo from their stock at that store.

From an article:

.233 high-powered armor-piercing bullets sold at
South Bend Walmart against city agreement

Reverend Greg Brown, a local minister on the city's West side, became concerned about Wal-Mart’s gun sales after two of the kids in his youth group said they were offered $50 to steal ammunition from the store. 

"A gentleman came to them with a gym bag and asked them to load it up with ammunition and come out where they get tires," Brown. 

ABC 57 went to the Wal-Mart off Ireland Road in South Bend. That is when we found a 12 gauge tactical shotgun in the display case, next to .223 high-powered ammunition. 

Both items are not supposed to be sold at the store based on a written agreement with the City of South Bend. 

"We had a great relationship with them and this is why it was alarming to me that they had not honored their part of the bargain," said Davis. 

"A .223 round can shoot through a bulletproof vest, so we are concerned about our police officers safety and anybody else," said Councilman Tim Scott. 

After our news report aired, the common council took action. Davis sent a letter to Wal-Mart notifying the store that it was not in compliance with the agreement.  

One week later, at Monday's Common Council meeting, Davis updated council members on his correspondence with Wal-Mart. 

"I had a meeting with Wal-Mart and some of their officials via phone. We met for about a half hour and talked about the situation going on," said Davis.   

In the conference call, Wal-Mart agreed to get the store in compliance and has since started removing those prohibited items from its shelves. Council members said they are pleased with Wal-Mart's swift action and response to the matter. 

"It was really a good meeting. It was a very pleasant meeting because, like we told them, Wal-Mart has been a key part of the 6th district and a part of the growth in that area. So, we want to continue to keep great relationships with them," said Davis.  

Davis said the original agreement with Wal-mart still stands. The retail giant will also be providing the common council with a written report, outlining the changes they have made at the store.  

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Two wounded in shooting at Tallahassee Walmart on Black Friday

Scene of shooting at Tallahassee Walmart

In what appears to be a dispute over a parking space, two people, a man and woman, were wounded in a shooting in the parking lot of a Walmart in Tallahassee, Florida.  It happened on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year.

From an article:

The shots were fired in front of the store on Apalachee Parkway just after noon. 

Just minutes ago, police confirmed the folks were fighting over a parking space. 

The shots were fired on the sidewalk right in front of the parkway Wal Mart. 

Police are trying to find out who fired them. 

John Williams, who was inside the store during shooting, said, "It's scary. Especially in front of a store where people can get hurt, you know. It's scary and it's stupid." 

Witnesses tell us two couples were arguing and at some point a shopping cart hit the side of the car and a man stepped out and started shooting. 

TPD Spokesman David Northway said, "On scene, officers located two victims who have suffered non-life threatening injuries and are currently being treated at a local hospital." 

Stunned shoppers stood outside. Customers who were inside said they heard the shots and people started running. 

"I heard the muffled sounds of shooting. It sounded like five times. People started running towards the back of the store. Some people in quite a shock, said Hoskulbur Fridriksson who was inside the store during shooting. 

Officers say the whole thing may have been caught on tape by surveillance cameras overhead. 

The Wal Mart shut down for more than two hours. Customers coming to check out Black Friday bargains were stunned to find out two people had been shot amidst the crowd.

(a related article)

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UPDATE (11/25/12):  The suspected shooters have been captured.  From a follow-up article:

Sgt. Ralph Hall said Earl White III, 31, and Tiffany Leanne Yancey, 27, were arrested yesterday after Gadsden County Sheriff's Office officials chased them into Georgia, south of Cairo.

The two were chased by deputies until they reached a road block, which was set up by Grady County deputies. Spikes were deployed and the two suspects crashed into a ridge, ending the chase. Hall said Yancey and White were checked out by EMS before being released back into police custody.

"They're both waiting on authorities from Florida to come and start the extradition process," he said.

UPDATE (11/27/12):  The shooting began as a parking dispute, but turned into an attempted robbery gone wrong.  From an article:

Two people, a man and a woman, were injured in the shooting, which began after they pulled into the Apalachee Parkway store’s parking lot around noon and honked at a car blocking the lane in front of the grocery store entrance.

The driver of the car, Earl White III, 31, pulled out of the way while an occupant, Tiffany Yancey, 27, jumped out of the passenger side and began approaching the victims’ car with a handgun, according tocourt records.

The male victim ran inside the store when he saw the woman with a handgun, according to TPD’s probable-cause affidavit. Yancey walked up to the female victim, pointed the gun in her face and struck her several times before demanding, “Give me everything in your purse,” according to court records.

The woman was knocked to the ground, and White and Yancey both hit and kicked her while trying to steal her purse. At one point, Yancey dropped the gun, but White retrieved it. White pointed it at the male victim as he was coming out of the store.

White and Yancey got back into their car and began driving off, but the male victim tried to stop them by pushing a shopping cart in the way of their car. White then got out of the car and started shooting, according to court records.

The male victim was shot in the buttocks, the groin and his lower right leg. The female victim was shot in the right biceps. Police have said their injuries were not life-threatening. ....

White and Yancey are facing charges in Tallahassee of attempted murder, attempted robbery with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. They also are facing drug charges in Georgia after deputies found pills in their car, said Robert Simmons, an investigator with the Grady County Sheriff’s Office. White also faces numerous charges related to the car chase.

According to court records, both White and Yancey have felony convictions in Georgia. White was convicted of burglary in 2008 and Yancey was convicted of forgery in 2009.

UPDATE (12/1/12): A related article with some additional details and pics of the suspects.

Man threatens Texas Walmart checkout clerk with handgun

Occurred November 10, 2012.

20-year-old James Dale Carroll went up to a checkout line in a Walmart in Bryan, Texas, with a toy in his hands.  He became agitated at the checkout person, then pulled a gun on him, then threatened to shoot the clerk if he called police.

Carroll was arrested in the parking lot.

From an article:

Police arrested 20-year-old James Dale Carroll at about 1:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Briarcrest Drive store after finding a gun at his feet when he got out of a vehicle, according to a police report. 

Carroll was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony punishable by 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. 

He was also charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon. 

Officers said Carroll refused to comply with their commands and refused to give them his name after they confronted him. 

Two people he was with in the vehicle told police they were asked by another person to pick Carroll up at Wal-Mart because he was "acting crazy," the report says. 

A cashier told police Carroll got in the checkout lane and began asking about a toy in his hand. Carroll asked the cashier if he had any kids, and then became upset when the cashier said no. 

Carroll asked the cashier if he "wanted any," pointed the gun at him, then left, warning the clerk he would shoot him if he called the police, according to the report. 

The store manager on duty told an officer that Carroll appeared to be intoxicated.

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Stolen firearms transferred in Oregon Walmart parking lot

Occurred November 10, 2012.

Three young men were caught transferring stolen guns from one car to another, in a parking lot of a Walmart store in Eugene, Oregon.

From an article: 

Scott Allen Steinbach, 22, Chet Evan Raymond, 21, and Tyler Buck Gorham, 19, were arrested in the Walmart parking lot at 4550 W. 11th Ave. about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the Eugene Police Department. 

The three are accused of stealing firearms from a residence on Century Drive in the Bethel area, police said. 

Eugene police officers responded to a report of three males transferring firearms from one vehicle to a second vehicle near the Space Age gas station at 4419 Commerce St., in front of the Walmart store, about 11:30 a.m. Saturday. 

Witnesses reported the three people leaving in a dark-­colored Cadillac, police said. Officers kept an eye on a vehicle left behind by one of the people. 

About 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the Century Drive residents reported a burglary with firearms being stolen. Witnesses of the burglary supplied descriptions of the thieves and a suspect vehicle. Police were able to link the suspects and vehicle to the earlier reported weapons transfer. 

Officers took the suspects into custody without incident . 

Officers recovered the stolen property from the burglary, including several firearms, police said. At least one of the suspects was armed with a handgun when the officers made the arrest, police said. 

All three were charged with first-­degree burglary, first-degree theft and other assorted charges and lodged in the Lane County Jail.

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Trio stage armed robbery at Walmart in Texas

Occurred January 10, 2012.

Three young men staged a brash armed robbery at a Walmart in Humble, Texas, armed with rifles, including at least one SKS assault rifle.

A few days later, the girlfriend of one of the robbers turned them in to police.

From an article:

Larry Jordan, 17; Errol Robey, 18; and Ricky Chatman-Hall, 19, have been charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office ..... 

Three days later, a sheriff's deputy got a tip from the girlfriend, who said she picked up Chatman-Hall, Harris and White shortly after the robbery and drove them to her apartment, according to a complaint filed by the Harris County District Attorney's Office. 

She said the three had a large amount of cash and a long-barreled weapon, which she said they called an "SKS," records state. According to online information, the SKS is a widely sold gun with some similarities to the Russian AK-47 assault rifle.
The girlfriend told deputies the three bragged about being on the news and causing a pregnant store manager to go into labor during the robbery, records state.

Here is surveillance video of the robbery:





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Armed robbery at bank inside of Texas Walmart

The two gunmen inside the Tomball Walmart at the bank

Occurred November 12, 2012.

Three men are being sought for an armed robbery at the Woodforest National Bank outlet inside of a Walmart at Tomball, Texas.

Two of the men pulled out pistols at the bank, then fled with the assistance of a third man.

From an article and photo gallery of suspects:

FBI officials said two of the men walked into the bank armed with pistols and demanded cash. They had been dropped off outside the store and then were picked by the third man, who was driving a dark Toyota or Honda four-door. 

No injuries were reported.

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Armed robber at Tucson Walmart caught on video

Occurred October 11, 2012.

An armed robber pulled a gun on a Walmart checker in Tucson, Arizona, with customers standing next to him, and fled with cash.

Article and still-photos here.

One suspect has been arrested.

Here is a video of the robbery:



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Four assault rifles stolen from Mississippi Walmart display case

The four assault rifles stolen from Tyler Walmart

Occurred October 1, 2012.

A man and woman broke into a display case at a Tyler, Mississippi Walmart and stole four assault rifles.  

The assault rifles have since been recovered, but the suspects have yet to be captured.

From an article:

According to a Walmart spokesperson, someone broke into the gun case around 1:30 Monday morning, while a clerk wasn't looking and stole several guns. 

Tyler Police say surveillance footage shows a white male breaking into the gun case and removing four assault rifles. Police say he had an accomplice, who acted as a look out. They describe her as a white female. 

The four rifles, along with a gun bag and hunting jacket were placed in a cart and taken from the store, police say. 

Tyler Police say the suspects left WalMart in a silver Dodge or Chrysler minivan with only one hubcap on the left rear wheel.  

Walmart is working with local law enforcement to provide any assistance they may need. 

As a precautionary measure, All Tyler Walmart stores will be temporarily removing firearms from sales floors during the overnight hours.

From another article:

Warrants have been issued for 33-year-old Jamie Lee Miller and 34-year-old Jeremy Lee Wilson. Both are wanted on charges of theft of a firearm. 

Police have also recovered the suspects vehicle at a house located north of Tyler Pipe.
The homeowner stated that they did not know who the vehicle belonged to when they discovered it in their carport. 

Since the theft Sunday, Tyler Police also recovered all four of the weapons that were stolen from the store on Highway 64 West. Information led Tyler Police Officers to a location in town where the weapons were possibly dropped off.

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Man steals shotgun from Colorado Walmart display case

Occurred September 19, 2012.

A man broke into a display case at a Walmart in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and stole a shotgun.

From an article:

Police say around 2:10 a.m. Wednesday a white male broke in to a gun display case at the Walmart on Space Center Drive and fled the store with a shotgun. 

Investigators are looking for a small silver, possibly early to mid 90's Honda that the suspect was seen jumping into.The vehicle fled the area before officers arrived. 

Surveillance video showed the suspect to be a white male in his mid 20's with brown hair, wearing a large coat.

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Assault rifles stolen from two South Carolina Walmarts

Suspects stealing assault rifles at Walmart stores

Occurred October 28 and November 1, 2012.

In two separate incidents, in the cities of Summerville and Walterboro, South Carolina, suspects entered Walmart stores and stole assault rifles from the displays.

From an article:

Law enforcement agencies in Walterboro and Summerville are on the lookout for the people responsible for two separate incidents where assault rifles were stolen from area Walmarts.

Officials with the Summerville Police Department say a man entered the Walmart on North Main Street last Thursday and stole two assault rifles.

According to police, the suspect took a hammer and chisel from inside the department store and used them to open a gun case. The suspect then took an AR 15 and 22. caliber assault rifle. Police say those assault rifles were later found near an I-26 off ramp near North Main Street.

Officials with the Walterboro Public Safety Department say a similar incident happened at a Walmart on Bells Highway when two suspects entered the store on Oct. 28 at 11 p.m.

Authorities say one of the suspects grabbed a hammer from the store and smashed the gun case.  The suspect then took two assault rifles which have not been recovered.

Investigators are looking for a 2000 to 2002 green 4-door Mazda Protege with alloy wheels in connection to this case.

Police say they don't believe the suspects in the two incidents are the same, but could possibly be two groups of people working separately or together.

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Man arrested for plotting mass shooting with assault rifles at Missouri Walmart

Occurred November 16, 2012.

(UPDATED -- See below)

A man from Bolivar, Missouri, Blaec James Lammers, 20, was caught planning a mass shooting at the local Walmart store, using two assault rifles and ammunition acquired, in part, from within the store.

He had purchased his weapons and ammo from Walmart.

Luckily, Lammers' mother became suspicious and tipped off the police.

Lammers was able to purchase two assault weapons and 400 rounds of ammo legally, despite the fact that he had a prior incident of making threats, had been involuntarily committed due to his mental health back in 2009, and was currently supposed to be taking medication for a serious mental illness.

From an article:

According to a probable cause statement by Det. Dusty Ross of the Bolivar Police Department, Blaec James Lammers, 20, initially planned on attending a showing of the "Twilight" movie at B&B Theatre in Bolivar and shooting people at it.

He had planned on doing it at a showing tonight (Friday, Nov. 16), Ross said in a phone interview.

"Blaec Lammers stated that he had purchased tickets to go see the 'Twilight' movie ... and he was going to shoot people at the movie theatre on that night," the statement said.

"He then got to thinking about it and realized that he might run out of ammunition, so he decided that he would go and shoot people at Walmart in Bolivar. ... He would walk into the store and just start shooting people at random and if he ran out of ammunition (he said he purchased 400 rounds), he would just break the glass where the ammunition is being stored and get some more and keep on shooting until the police arrived," the statement said.
....
"He got the idea, he purchased the guns, purchased the ammo, went out and practiced using the gun, got his venue, got tickets to the venue, then thought 'Well, maybe if I run out of ammo, I need to pick a different venue.'
....
Lammers allegedly planned something similar in 2009.

"Lammers had previously stated that he wanted to stab a Walmart employee to death and went to Walmart and followed an employee around the store before he was contacted by officers," the statement said.

In an interview with Ross, Lammers allegedly said he had a lot in common with individuals involved in recent shootings in the news.

"Lammers stated that he was quiet, kind of a loner, had recently purchased firearms and didn't tell anybody about it and had homicidal thoughts," the statement said.

The suspect was familiar with several high profile shootings, Ross said, discussing shootings at Virginia Tech, Arizona, Columbine, Colo., and Aurora.

Lammers acquired one assault-type gun on Monday, Nov. 12, and another on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Ross said he purchased both guns, a .223 and .22 similar in appearance to the AR-15s used in the Aurora shooting, from Walmart. He is held in the Polk County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

(information on the suspect's Facebook page)

UPDATE (11/21/12):  New details about Lammers' 2009 mental health involuntary commitment.  Lammers, then age 17, had almost carried out another murder at a Walmart using a knife and rubber mask.  According to an article:

Blaec Lammers told investigators in Oct. 2009, he went to the Walmart in Bolivar, Mo., looking for an "easy victim" after watching the horror film "Halloween," saying that watching the main character killing people "got him to thinking," the arrest report said.

Lammers, then 17, told authorities he watched the clerk for more than two hours. He said he was planning to follow the clerk into a storage room and kill him. Lammers' plan fell apart when his mother located a suicide note and noticed a kitchen knife was missing. She called the authorities, who located Lammers' car in the Walmart parking lot.

No charges were filed in that case. Instead, Lammers was committed for 96 hours for a mental health examination, Polk County prosecutor Ken Ashlock said Tuesday.

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UPDATE (12/27/12):  According to another article, the parents of Blaec Lammers, say they've tried, and failed, to get their son appropriate mental health treatment in the past:

The couple has tried repeatedly to get help for their son, who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and an anti-social personality disorder. They recalled waiting for hours as hospital staffers called institutions around the state, trying to find one that had an open bed for their son. 

They’ve spent as much as $30,000 on repeated hospitalizations and medications. There is still a balance of about $9,300 from their son’s last stay at Lakeland Behavioral Health System, a psychiatric hospital for children in Springfield. 

They said the mental health system had failed them and their son.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/25/3981618/theres-no-place-to-turn-to.html#storylink=cpy

UPDATE (4/6/13):  A judge ruled that Lammers' plan constituted a threat.  From an article:

Despite objections the state did not prove the defendant communicated a threat, Associate Circuit Judge John C. Porter found probable cause that Blaec James Lammers, 20, of Bolivar committed a felony in his alleged plans to open fire at Bolivar Walmart in November. ...

The next day, Wednesday, Nov. 14, she picked up Lammers’ clothes to do his laundry — he lived with her at her residence on East 473rd Road — and she found a Walmart receipt dated Nov. 13 for a gun in the pocket of his pants, P. Lammers said. She could not recall what she read on the receipt to make her believe it was for a gun, but the purchase was for $865 and had been paid in cash. 

“I briefly spoke with him that Wednesday afternoon,” P. Lammers said. “He said ‘Yes, I bought them [the guns] several weeks ago.’ ... That was not true. 

“I have learned to walk on eggshells, sometimes, around my son. I didn’t want him to get angry with me. I was concerned for my safety as well as my son’s,” P. Lammers said. “I was afraid my son could come back and hurt me or I was afraid he could hurt himself, take his life. I had no idea what my son might do.” ... 

Jeff Murray, a Walmart employee, testified that he sold Lammers a Windham Weaponry AR-15 and some ammunition on Nov. 13. The rifle is semi-automatic, Murray said, and is commonly called an “assault weapon.” Lammers completed the background paperwork in his presence and Murray said he submitted it to the FBI. 

UPDATE (6/6/13):  Read more about how Lammers was able to be armed despite years of going in and out of mental facilities and concern from his parents, HERE.

UPDATE (3/24/14):  Lammers has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
.

Shoplifters at Delaware Walmart threaten employee with gun

Armed suspects shoplifting at Wilmington Walmart

Occurred November 14, 2012.

Two men in a Wilmington, Delaware Walmart stole clothing, and then threatened an employee with a gun as they got away.

From an article:

Delaware State Police say two men who tried to walk out of a department store wearing clothes they had stolen pointed a gun at an employee.

Troopers say about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, two men entered the Wal-Mart in Wilmington. They took clothes on display, put them on and then left.

When a store employee approached the men, one of them displayed a handgun. The employee retreated, and the men fled in a car.

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Teen waves gun in Maryland Walmart

Occurred November 5, 2012.

When asked to leave the store, a young man pulled out a gun and waved it in a Walmart store in Cockeysville, Maryland.

From an article:

A man, appearing to be in his late teens, brandished a handgun after being told to leave the Walmart Supercenter. The suspect was walking out of the big box store when he began waving a handgun and threatening an employee. The suspect told the victim "It’s gonna get real," according to the incident summary.

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Gunman faces shooting victim in court for robbery at North Carolina Walmart

Armed robbery and shooting occurred October 18, 2011.

(UPDATED -- See below)

Last October, outside a Walmart in Whitehall Township, North Carolina, Darnell Ray Lewis Jr. and an accomplice robbed 19-year old Barbara Hausknecht and shot her once in the back with a revolver. 

Hausknecht recovered, and Lewis was captured.

Now he is in court and has faced his shooter.

According to an article:

The 19-year-old woman who just cashed her paycheck at a Walmart in Whitehall Township sensed something uncomfortable about the young man outside who asked her for a cigarette.

Barbara Hausknecht told the man she had no cigarette and continued walking away with her friend, she testified in Lehigh County Court Friday. That's when the man demanded her clutch that contained about $500, she said.

Hausknecht refused, so the man grabbed her by the arm, pulled out a gun and fired it into her back, narrowly missing her spine, she testified. That man and an accomplice who was waiting nearby got on top of the fallen Hausknecht, ripped the clutch out of her hands and fled, she testified.

While she was down, the young woman continued trying to fight off the men, she said.

"He hit me in the mouth with the gun and cracked a few of my teeth," Hausknecht testified.

In court Friday, Hausknecht sobbed as she pointed out Darnell Ray Lewis Jr. as the man who shot her on the afternoon of Oct. 18, 2011, leaving her hospitalized for three weeks with possible permanent internal injuries. The woman who drove Lewis from the scene also testified and also named Lewis as the shooter.

District Judge David M. Howells Jr. ruled enough evidence was presented to send robbery and related charges to Lehigh County Court. Lewis, 20, North Carolina, is also charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft and receiving stolen property.

During the hearing, Howells reprimanded Lewis for glaring at the victim and his court staff.

The victim and another witness were allowed to testify from the prosecutor's table instead of the witness stand.

Whitehall police said two others were involved in the armed robbery and shooting: Tymesha L. McKenzie, 20, of Easton, and Ferontay Troutman, 22, of North Carolina. McKenzie, who testified Friday, is free as she awaits trial. Troutman died last year in New Jersey before he could be charged.

Hausknecht testified she had just cashed her $500 paycheck at the Walmart on MacArthur Road around 12:30 p.m. and was planning on using the money to rent an apartment. She was walking with her unidentified friend and pushing a cart containing dog food and presents for her niece when she was approached by two men, she testified.

McKenzie testified she drove to the Walmart with Lewis, Troutman and her 2-year-old son. She said Lewis and Troutman went inside the store to buy some items, but did not come out with anything.

She testified the men came back to her car and Lewis appeared upset and then pulled a revolver out and placed it on his lap. As they were about to drive away, Lewis told McKenzie to stop the car, she testified.

Lewis and Troutman got out of the car and approached a woman and man. She said she saw Lewis talking to the man and woman and then saw the woman fall to the ground. When Lewis and Troutman got back to her car, McKenzie asked Lewis if he shot the woman.

She said Lewis answered, "Yes, because she wouldn't give it up."

McKenzie testified she drove the men away and they split the cash in the wallet.

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UPDATED (8/3/13): Lewis has been found guilty for the crime.  From an article:

Said the judge:  "Mr. Lewis, your testimony may have been the most ridiculous testimony I have ever heard in my 10 years on the bench," Banach said. "I found your testimony to be ridiculous and bordering on insulting."

On Monday, Jeremiah Carrasquillo testified that he was walking out of Walmart on MacArthur Road with Hausknecht, his friend, after Hausknecht had just cashed her check and bought dog food and presents for her niece. 

He saw two men approach — the same two men who had just seen Hausknecht counting her money inside Walmart. 

He said one, later identified as Lewis, asked for a light. When they gave him matches, the man asked for a lighter. Carrasquillo said that's when the two knew they were in trouble. 

Carrasquillo said Lewis pulled out a gun and demanded money. 

When Hausknecht resisted, he punched her in the mouth, chipping her teeth. He then shot her and continued to assault her until he pulled off Hausknecht's clutch — a wallet attached to her wrist. 

"It would have been easier to pull that purse off a corpse and that's why he shot her," Senior Deputy District Attorney Tonya Tharp told Banach in her closing argument. 

The shot, which just missed Hausknecht's spine, left her hospitalized for three weeks with a lacerated intestine among other injuries. Outside the courtroom Wednesday, Hausknecht said she still has pain every day and has nerve damage in her neck and back. She said she tried to go back to work, but the pain became too great. 

Hausknecht said she forgives Lewis but can't understand why he didn't just take the purse without shooting her. 

"He could have easily overpowered me," the thin woman said. "I pray for him. I feel bad he ruined his life so young."

.

Robber at Maryland Walmart shoots employee

Crime scene at Laurel Walmart

Occurred November 14, 2012.

A man robbed the local Walmart store in Laurel, Maryland, then took a 28-year old store employee outside, shot him once in the chest, then fled, lighting a car on fire after ditching it.  The employee was taken to the hospital and treated.

From an article:

Authorities say the gunman approached the employee inside the store and demanded he turn over money.

After the employee complied and turned over an undisclosed amount of money, the gunman forced him outside and shot him in the parking lot before fleeing the scene in a dark colored van.

The 28-year-old was shot in the upper body and was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators say that while they were at the scene, a vehicle was found fully engulfed in flames nearby. Officers say the vehicle may have been used by the suspect to flee.

The suspect is described as a white male, wearing a dark mask, black pants, a black jacket and a gray or white sweatshirt with a hood.

Ashley Hardie, spokeswoman for Walmart, called the shooting a senseless act of violence and said the store is working with the Laurel Police Department to identify the suspect.

"We take the safety of our associates and customers very seriously and will continue to work with police to provide a safe and secure environment," said Hardie in a statement given to FOX 5.

(a related news video)

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Man shoots woman to death at Louisville Walmart

Crime scene at Louisville Walmart

Occurred November 10, 2012.

In an apparent domestic dispute, a 46-year old woman, Michelle Hahn, came out of a Walmart in Louisville, Kentucky, and was putting groceries her car in the parking lot when a 44-year old male, Charles R. Fickentsher, shot her to death.  He then fled the scene, but was found shortly after at a nearby park with a fatal, self-inflicted wound.  

Fickentsher had a history of domestic violence.

From an article:

Jefferson County coroner Jack Arnold says 46-year-old Michelle Hahn was shot just after noon Saturday in the parking lot of the Walmart on Standiford Plaza Dr. in Hillview. Investigators say Hahn was getting into her car when she was gunned down.

"It appears that she had been in the Walmart and came out, possibly was putting some belongings in the vehicle. She was outside the vehicle at the time that she was shot," said LMPD spokesperson Carey Klain.

The killer fled the scene, but investigators tracked the suspect's car to McNeely Lake Park, some three miles from the crime scene. Inside, police found the suspected gunman dead. He had apparently shot himself.

The coroner has identified the suspect as 44-year-old Charles Fickentsher, of Okalona.
"It appears that this was a domestic situation, from the information that we are gathering.The individual did flee the scene, and we do have information that he is deceased, apparently a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It's very unfortunate," said Klain.

According to the coroner, Fickentsher and Hahn had been in a brief three-month-long relationship. He says Hahn had ended their relationship about three weeks ago, and that Fickentsher had possibly been stalking her since then.

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Man opens fire in North Carolina Walmart

Justing Ross Murphy, opening fire in
Kernersville Walmart

Occurred October 29, 2012.

(updated, see below)

Justin Ross Murphy, 20, opened fire inside the Walmart in Kernersville, North Carolina, shooting three times in the Electronics Department.  Motive is unknown.  Luckily, no one was harmed, and Murphy was captured later by police.

From an article:

Justin Ross Murphy was arrested after an incident reported around 11:20 p.m. at the Main Street store. No one was hurt.

Employees flagged down a Kernersville police officer in the parking lot and reported that a man was firing a large-caliber handgun in the electronics department.

The store was evacuated, but police determined that the suspect left the store before the lockdown.

After getting a suspect description, police later arrested Murphy without incident at 4890 Old Hollow Road. 

He was charged with shooting into an occupied property, carrying a concealed weapon, going armed to the terror of the public and malicious injury to property.

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UPDATE (1/5/13):  Murphy has pleaded guilty to the charge.  Using a .50-caliber Desert Eagle handgun, he fired it and hit two flat-screen TVs and a wall.

UPDATE (3/20/13):  Watch at this link to see video of Murphy strolling into the electronics section, firing three shots while customer walked by, and calmly walking away. Currently, in North Carolina, it is only a misdemeanor to fire a gun inside a building (but a felony to fire at a building from the outside)!  A bill has been introduced to correct this, because of this case.

Shooting at Texas Walmart leaves victim wounded in leg and ankle

Scene of shooting at El Paso Walmart

Occurred October 26, 2012.

A man was driving in a Walmart parking lot in El Paso, Texas, when he noticed he was being followed.  He pulled over, and the other driver got out and shot the man three times, shattering bones in his leg and his ankle, then beat the man with his gun.  The suspect and motive are unknown.

The victim now has trouble supporting himself.  He is an Army soldier.

From an article and news video:

"I heard a gunshot. I felt it in my leg, and they said it was three gunshots cause they found two bullets and one inside my leg," said the victim.

The victim, who didn't want to reveal his identity, said the shooting has caused him fear and anger. 

"I'm just so terrified. I'm scared. It's so painful I can't go to sleep. I can't walk. I can't do nothing," he said. 

Police don't know what started the incident, but the victim said he was driving on Dyer when the shooter started following him in  a dark colored, lifted pick-up truck, that's when he pulled over to find out who the driver was. 

"When he had the gun he was hitting me with it, and so he was like. I'm from the Army, you know, cussing," the victim said. 

The gunshot shattered his foot and part of his ankle. 

"I have plates and screws in my foot. Now I'm not going to play basketball no more,"said the victim. 

The victim told KFOX 14 the shooting has also caused a lot of personal problems. 

"Nobody is going to pay my rent or my bills. I have no family in El Paso. I live by myself, single person. No family," said the victim. 

He said he just wants police to catch the shooter before someone else is seriously hurt. 

"This is what upsets me, is that this guy has a loaded gun driving around," he said.

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Walmart employee shot in Texas

Occurred October 13, 2012.

A Walmart employee was shot in the arm in the Walmart parking lot in Fredericksburg, Texas.

From an article and news video:

One employee was injured outside of the Walmart in Fredericksburg overnight Thursday. 

Fredericksburg police responded to the shooting at 12:47 a.m. on Thursday according to the Gillespie County Sheriffs Office. 

A male employee was shot in the arm in the Walmart parking lot.
Police are looking for the suspect. 

The victim was taken to a hospital in San Antonio for treatment. Police are waiting to talk to the victim in the hopes of learning more about the suspect. It is unknown if the two knew each other.

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Armed robbery at gunpoint in California Walmart

Suspect Richard Chacon just prior to armed robbery
at Salinas Walmart

Occurred September 27, 2012.

The Walmart  in Salinas, California, was robbed when a man, later identified as Richard Chacon, disguised himself as a Walmart security guard and robbed an employee at gunpoint.  

A day later, he was stopped in a traffic stop by the police and engaged in a shootout with them and was injured by the officers.  

From an article:

SPD Officers and detectives have continued to investigate the armed robbery to the Wal Mart store located at 1800 N. Main St. which took place on Thursday September 27 at approximately 10:15 Hrs. A male suspect dressed as a security guard entered the store, confronted an employee at gunpoint and robbed the business stealing an undetermined amount of cash. 

Today at approximately 1;00 p.m., officers and detectives working the case developed information on the identity of a possible suspect. Surveillance information led officers to the suspect driving his vehicle in Salinas. Officers followed the suspect and lone occupant in the vehicle to the area of the 1900 block of Constitution Blvd. near Nantucket Blvd. 

As the officers started to effect a traffic stop on the vehicle , the driver stopped and he opened the driver's side door and started shooting towards the officers. Two Salinas Police officers shot back at the suspect , wounding him.The suspect was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The officers were not injured.

Chacon's nephew and a Walmart service manager were also implicated in the robbery attempt.

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Argument turns into shooting at Walmart in Georgia

Occurred September 25, 2012.

Three men got into an argument in a Walmart parking lot in Stockbridge, Georgia.  One pulled out a gun and shot another in the abdomen.  The victim survived.  The other two men fled the scene.

From an article:

Henry police spoke with the male victim, who suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound in the abdomen, Sgt. Joey Smith said.# 

“Evidently, he and two others had met with individuals in the parking lot when a dispute occurred,” Smith said. “One person has been confirmed shot. The victim was transported to Atlanta Medical Center and is in surgery with non-life threatening injuries. Detectives are currently interviewing possible witnesses and are preparing to interview the victim once he is out of surgery.”

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