A year of Walmart Shootings: 2012

(image from Per's Decent Blog)

When I started this blog, it was to chronicle what has become a sad fact: the retail giant Walmart, the number one retailer of guns and ammo in the United States, and possibly the world, has a higher rate of shootings and gun crimes on its properties than any other “big box” retailer in the nation.

As I have chronicled on this blog, Walmart had 54 shootings reported in the media in 2012.  That’s more than one a week, on average.  HERE is a listing of those incidents at the New Trajectory blog.  Though I didn’t look carefully until recently, I also found 24 other gun crimes where shots weren't fired.  That’s at least 75 incidents in at least 28 states. 

Crimes and shootings included armed robberies, customers angry at each other, shoplifters (including of assault weapons!), road rage, law enforcement encounters, drug deals gone wrong, and even suicides.  Twice there were accidental shootings, both times by gun owners with legal conceal carry permits.

I found 8 homicides, 25 attempted homicides or aggravated assaults with guns, 2 gang-related incidents, 4 drug-related events, 21 armed robberies, 11 shoplifting incidents, 2 accidents, 10 law-enforcement related incidents, and at least one murder/suicide (some of these categories overlap).  There were also two plots for mass murders at Walmarts.  An additional shooting was a man who stupidly decided to hunt for deer in the parking lot.

50 incidents were in the parking lots.  25 were inside the stores.  2 were at Walmart gas stations attached to the parking lots. 

In 2005, a movie was released entitled “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices.”  You can see on YouTube, embedded below.  For their abysmal record on shootings and assaults, watch timeframe 1:16:11 - 1:25:06.  At timepoint 1:19, note that Walmart did their own internal study and found that 80% of assaults happened in their parking lots.  When they posted a roving guard in the parking lot, incidents dropped to nearly zero.  And yet, Walmart squashed the study and did not change their national policy regarding policing of their parking lots other than additional security cams.  No surprise, then, that here at Walmart Shootings we found that there is nearly twice the rate of incidents in the parking lots than inside stores in 2012.

It leaves you wondering.  Why Walmart?  What is it about Walmart stores that attracts gun crimes?  Is it their lax policy toward guns (they allow conceal carry in all stores, complicit with state gun law, are the number one retailer of guns in America, and even sell assault rifles).  Other retail giants, like Target, Kmart, and Costco almost never have gun crimes occur on their properties, so the issue isn’t just related to number of stores.  Or is it something about the clientele that Walmart sells to?  I don’t have an answer to these questions – seeking the answers is why this blog is here.

In the meantime, as we go into 2013, shop carefully if you go to your local Walmart.  There might be a Walmart Shooting coming to a store near you.

Remember:

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Attempted armed robbery inside Michigan Walmart

Occurred December 26, 2012.

A man, posing as law enforcement, gained the trust of a Walmart manager in Sturgis, Michigan, and then tried to rob her at gunpoint.  The plan failed, however, and he fled the scene.

From an article:

Police said the suspect entered the store about 8 p.m. 

He gained the confidence of management by displaying a badge and saying he was police officer and wanted to talk with them privately. 

During this time, the man made intensions of robbing the business and displayed a hand gun. 

The suspect did not get away with any money and left the store in a mid-sized, four-door passenger car. 

The suspect vehicle is believed to be a early 2000s, possibly red. It fled south on Centerville Road. 

The suspect is described as a white male in his late 50s, about 5-feet, 10-inches tall. 

He was wearing a tan full length dress coat, brown dress hat and a dark colored suit.

(a related article)

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Men steal gun from driver at Oregon Walmart parking lot

Occurred December 28, 2012.

A man parked at a Eugene, Oregon Walmart allowed two strangers to enter his car to use a cell phone, on the pretense of calling for a ride.  The men then took an unsecured gun from the driver's back seat.  The driver, realizing what was happening, then pulled another firearm on the two men, but the men escaped.

The gun was later recovered by a K9 unit, and one of the suspects was arrested.

From an article:

The theft victim reported he allowed two men he didn't know to get in his car to use his cellphone to call for a ride, and while they did so, one rummaged through belongings in the back seat where the gun was hidden. 

Police said that when he realized what had happened, the victim drew a second firearm, but the two men fled. Officers later found them and arrested one, 26-year-old Joseph Wilson Brumback of Harrisburg, on a theft charge.

(a related article)

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Man attempts armed robbery in California Walmart

Outside the Moreno Valley Walmart,
scene of attempted armed robbery

Occurred December 24, 2012.

A man armed with a rifle entered a Moreno Valley, California, Walmart and demanded that the manager open a safe.  However, the robbery was interrupted and the suspect fled.  No one was injured.  The store was evacuated for a few hours during the search for the suspect.

From an article:

The rifle-carrying man who entered the Walmart on Moreno Beach Drive in Moreno Valley on Monday, Dec. 24, attempted to rob the store, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said.

Sheriff’s deputies that morning said they did not immediately know what the man’s purpose was in asking for the manager. A news release later Monday clarified what happened.

Someone reported at 6 a.m. that the Walmart was being robbed by a man in a black trench coat who was carrying a rifle. The man demanded that the manager open the safe, but he fled before the safe was opened after someone announced over the public-address system that the store was being robbed.

The man did not take money or merchandise, the release said.

The store was evacuated. As of 9 a.m., people were still inside the store and nobody was allowed to enter. Around 9:15 a.m., employees started leaving.

Deputies found footprints that led into a dirt field west of the shopping center. They searched using a police dog and a helicopter but could not find the man, who has not been identified.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Man shot in leg in road rage incident in Virginia Walmart parking lot

Occurred December 24, 2012.

On Christmas Eve, two men got into a "mutual road rage incident" which ended with both vehicles stopping in the parking lot of a Martinsville, Virginia parking lot. One driver attacked the other with a baseball bat, while the other pulled out a gun and shot the other in the leg.

From a Sheriff's office release, as quoted in an article:

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating a malicious wounding that occurred in the 800 block of Commonwealth Boulevard Martinsville, VA. On December 24, 2012 at approximately 12:06 pm the Martinsville/Henry County Communications Center received a call regarding a fight in progress in front of Mountain View Shopping Center. Matthew David Davis, 27, of 5195 Franklin Street Rocky Mount, VA reported that he was shot in the leg by a male subject identified as Robert Alonzo Beal, 45, of 20 Massey Street Martinsville, VA. The altercation stemmed from what appears to be a situation involving road rage between the two parties. The vehicles then stopped at Mountain View Shopping Center and a physical altercation ensued. During the altercation, Beal was struck several times with an aluminum baseball bat and Davis was subsequently shot in the upper portion of his left leg. 

Beal was treated and released for a fracture to his right arm and Davis was treated and released for a gunshot wound to his leg. Robert Alonzo Beal has been charged with one misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and was released on a $5000 unsecured bond. Davis has been charged with malicious wounding, a felony, and jailed without bond.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Sheryl Crow sings about Walmart gun sales

No surprise...  Walmart refuses to sell the CD that includes this song.

Love Is A Good Thing
by Sheryl Crow


Lyrics:

Watch out sister, watch out brother,
Watch our children while they kill each other
With a gun they bought at Wal-mart discount stores
Welcome to the hallway, metal detectors just been installed
Hey isn't cops and robbers gettin' to be a big bore
Mary, Mary quite contrary, close the door now,
It's much too scary
And your might see something you wish you hadn't seen
Out of sight, out of time, out of patience,
And I'm out of my mind
Governor, tell me what does it mean
Dance children, dance to the beat
Wanna be a hippy cause life is so sweet
Good morning hate
Dance children, dance to the beat
Wanna rock and roll up and down the street,
I've got a message

Love is a good thing
Love is a good, love is a good,
Love is a good thing

Politicians on a mission,
Build them up, bring them down
For the good of the system
Well we don't like the way you live your life
I got one thing I must express
We try our criminals in the press
Justice is a fading light
Mary, Mary quite contrary, close the door now
It's much too scary
And you might see something you wish you hadn't seen
Out of sight, out of time, out of patience,
And I'm out of my mind
Governor, tell me what does it mean
Dance children, dance to the beat
Wanna be a hippy cause life is so sweet
Good morning hate
Dance children, dance to the beat
Wanna rock and roll up and down the street
I've got a message

Love is a good thing
Love is a good, love is a good,
Love is a good thing



Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Armed robbery by man at checkout stand in Winston-Salem Walmart

Scene of armed robbery at Winston-Salem Walmart

Occurred December 20, 2012.

A man who appeared like a standard customer came up to the checkout in a Winston-Salem, North Carolina Walmart and showed a gun.  He demanded money and escaped, taking cash and electronics with him.  Luckily, no one was harmed.

From an article:

Gunman demanding money at Winston-Salem Walmart

The WSPD is reporting that a man robbed the Hanes Mill Road Wal-Mart at approximately 4:25am Thursday morning. The gunman appeared to be a normal customer choosing an item for “purchase” before getting in line at an open register where he pulled out a gun and demanded money. 

The robber got away with some merchandise and an undisclosed amount of money. No one was injured in the incident and CID is now investigating.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Threats of gun violence cause evacuation of Kansas City Walmarts

One of the Walmarts threatened in Kansas City, Missouri

Occurred December 19, 2012.

Three times during one night, calls were made to three different Kansas City, Missouri, area Walmarts, forcing police response and evacuation of stores.  Luckily, the threatened violence didn't happen.

The caller was tracked down and arrested.

From an article:

Three area Walmart stores, located in the Northland and Independence, were evacuated after the man made the threats of violence sometime after midnight Wednesday. 

According to police, the man would call to make a threat, and once police arrived and found nothing suspicious, he would call and make a threat at another location. 

The third call, that concerned an Independence Walmart located on East 39th Street South and South Bolger Road, just west of Highway 291, happened shortly after 2:45 a.m. Nothing was found. 

Police were able to find the man by tracing a TracFone cell phone he had in his possession. He was arrested shortly after 5 a.m.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Dispute in South Carolina Walmart parking lot leads to shooting

Shooting suspects walking out of Beaufort Walmart

Occurred December 18, 2012.

A 24-year old man was shot and wounded in the parking lot of the Walmart in Beaufort, South Carolina, following a dispute.

From an article:

Upon arrival, officers met with a 24-year-old man who had what appeared to be a bullet wound to the arm. The victim reported that he had been loading items into his vehicle in the parking lot of Walmart when he heard gunshots and then felt something hit his arm. He then drove to his home and had someone drive him to the hospital for treatment.  

When officers went to the reported scene they found a vehicle with several bullet holes and some blood on the ground. Witnesses reported hearing three to four shots at approximately 11:30 p.m.  

Investigators believe the suspects are two black males that were driving a white four door sedan. Witnesses reported that the victim was observed in a verbal dispute with two men just prior to the shooting. The dispute is believed to be related to the shooting. 

(a related article)

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

UPDATE (1/6/13):  Both suspects have now been arrested: Dion Ramell Hagood, 24, and Pierre Lamont Bryant, 52.

Visit your Walmart and demand an end to assault weapon sales

SumOfUs.org is leading a drive to visit your local Walmart store and talk to the store manager, handing them a flier, telling them that you want Walmart to stop selling assault rifles.

Here is a link where you can find instructions:
http://sumofus.org/post/walmart-guns-dropoff/?akid=1166.1096003.1hlEs8&rd=1&sub=fwd&t=1

Here is a link where you can find their flier, which you can print:
http://sou.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/walmart-flier-final.pdf

Walmart continues to sell assault rifles -- five different models, including the Bushmaster .223 that was used in Newtown.

There is also a petition drive, which you can take part in.

Walmart is the number one retail seller of guns in America, and possibly the world.  It's time to end this disgrace.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Petition demands Walmart remove assault rifles

Despite the slaughter of 20 young children and 6 adults by mass shooter Adam Lanza, in Newtown, Connecticut, Walmart still continues to sell assault rifles, including the type used by Lanza.  

The nation is crying out for sensible gun laws and a ban on assault rifles.  But that doesn't matter to the United States' number one seller of guns.  They sell at least five different models, and they're flying off the shelves to the point of backorder.  Clearly profits speaks louder than community safety or basic decency.

Screenshot of the petition site

Now, some responsible citizens at SumOfUs.org are demanding that Walmart stop selling these weapons of mass murder, and have started an online petition.

From the petition site:

Walmart is the largest gun dealer in the US, and it isn’t just selling hunting rifles.
The AR-15 is an assault weapon, designed to kill as many human beings as possible, and was the gun used to kill 20 children in the horrific Sandy Hook Elementary shooting last week. It’s also the gun used to kill 2 people in an Oregon mall the week before, and to kill 12 people in an Aurora, CO movie theater this summer. 

The AR-15 assault rifle has no place in our communities -- but as of last week, it's being sold in over 1,700 Walmarts around the country. Walmart removed the gun from its website, but not its actual stores, and it’s still stocking other semi-automatic rifles. Will we need to wait until the next mass shooting for Walmart to take those guns off the shelves? .... 

There’s good reason to target Walmart. The guns and ammunition on Walmart’s shelves are already leading to bloodshed around the country. When Jared Lee Loughner shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 other people in Tucson last year, he bought his ammunition at a Walmart. A young Missouri man who was arrested while planning to open fire on a screening screening of Twilight in November had purchased an AR-15 and 400 rounds of ammunition at a Walmart. Community leaders and law enforcement personnel from Indiana to Texas report that criminals can easily steal deadly weapons from Walmart display cases.

Page 25 of the Walmart Statement of Ethics

Assault rifles like the AR-15 were designed with only one purpose: killing large numbers of people as fast as possible, firing between 45-100 shots per minute, despite being semi-automatic.  That's overkill for either hunting or self-defense.

On page 25 of the Walmart "Statement of Ethics," the company states, "We’re committed to the health and safety of our customers, members, and associates, because we care for one another."  If that's so, then why do they continue to profit from the business of killing?

Please take a moment and visit the petition site to add your name to the list of those who want an end to the selling of these weapons of mass destruction.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.


UPDATE (1/4/13):  So far, 85,000 people have signed the petition.  If you haven't yet, please do so.

Five Assault Weapons You Can Pick up at Walmart

The Nation online just published a good post showing five different semi-auto assault rifles that you can, at this moment, go and purchase at your local Walmart stores nationwide.  

Link:  http://www.thenation.com/article/171810/five-assault-rifles-you-can-pick-walmart-photos#

These five semi-auto military-style assault rifles include:

1. Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine M4A3 AR-15-style rifle, comparable to the one used by Adam Lanza to murder 20 young children, all 6 or 7 years old, and 6 adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, as well as his mother beforehand.
2. Sig Sauer M400 Enhanced Carbine rifle
3. Colt M4 OPS .22 rifle
4. Colt LE6920 Carbine rifle
5. Smith & Wesson 811030 MP1522 rifle, similar to the one used by James Holmes in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre.

You can also pick up hollow-point bullets and 30-round ammo magazines for some of these weapons, as well as a tactical shotgun (also used by James Holmes), and all the ammo you want.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Walmart continues to sell assault rifles despite tragedy in Newtown

A .223-caliber Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle, like the one
used in the murder of children in Newtown, and sold by
Walmart stores

On December 14, 2012, a mentally ill young man, Adam Lanza, killed his mother in Newtown, Connecticut, and then proceeded to the Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he murdered 20 young children and 6 staff and teachers.  He was armed with a .223-caliber Bushmaster AR-15 semi-auto assault rifle, which he either exclusively or primarily used to shoot each of the victims multiple times, and two handguns, as well as wearing body armor, before shooting himself to death with a handgun.

Five days later, and after an announcement by President Obama that he would see stronger gun regulation and a renewed assault weapons ban, sales of semi-auto rifles, particularly the model used by Lanza, have skyrocketed, along with large-capacity ammo clips like he had used.

Unlike national sports retailer, Dick's, which pulled all of its assault rifles from its stock, Walmart announced that it will continue to sell assault weapons, including the Bushmaster models, and is having a thriving sale.  Such weapons are selling out in many of their stores.

From an article:

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said yesterday that it would continue to sell guns, including rifles like the one used at Newtown, where 26 people, most of them children, were killed on Dec. 14. By contrast, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. (DKS) suspended sales of similar guns at its more than 500 stores. 

Searches of five kinds of semi-automatic rifles on Wal- Mart’s website showed them to be out of stock at stores in five states, including Pennsylvania, Kansas and Alabama. Wal-Mart doesn’t sell guns online, instead asking customers to input a zip code to see if their local store carries a specific weapon. 

“We remain dedicated to the safe and responsible sale of firearms in areas of the country where they are sold,” David Tovar, a spokesman for Wal-Mart, said yesterday. He didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on this story. 

Wal-Mart has about 10 modern sporting rifles, the gun industry’s term for firearms that look like an M-16 military rifle, listed on its website. The retailer removed a description and picture of the Bushmaster AR-15, which was the model used in Newtown, after the shootings. 

In 2006, Wal-Mart reduced the number and variety of guns it offered in stores, and replaced them with more upscale products such as exercise equipment. It then reintroduced firearms to many stores in April 2011 as part of strategy to add merchandise back to shelves and revive sales growth at its Wal-Mart locations in the U.S.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Shots fired outside a Colorado Walmart

Scene of shooting at Castle Rock Walmart

Occurred December 7, 2012.

Two men have been arrested for firing a gun multiple times outside the Walmart at Castle Rock, Colorado.

They may be linked to a spree of shots-fired reports around that county, including into a Jehovah's Witness hall.

From an article and news video:

[The shooting spree] apparently came to an end near the Walmart Friday night. Ten to 15 shots were reported outside the store in Castle Rock with a truck being hit. A special Douglas County crimes unit responded and moments later police stopped a car and arrested Nicholas Deters, 20, of Larkspur and Tyson Olson, 29, of Parker. 

Deters and Olson have been charged with illegally firing a weapon, criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. Olson was taken to the Douglas County Detention Facility and Deters is now out on bond.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Shoplifter shot and killed at Houston Walmart

Scene of shooting at Houston Walmart

Occurred December 7, 2012.

Three women, Shelly Frey, Tisa Andrews and Yolanda Craig, were spotted shoplifting -- stuffing items into their purses -- and trying to escape a Walmart in Houston, Texas.  An off-duty sheriff's deputy, working as store security, confronted them and was hit by a purse. He then chased them into the parking lot, where they attempted to escape in the car, dragging the deputy a short distance.

The deputy then discharged his weapon, hitting Shelly Frey in the neck.  When police caught up with the women at an apartment, Frey was dead.  The others were arrested.

Two small children were in the car at the time of the shooting.  These were not Frey's children, but she was a mother to two children herself, one of whom is 2-years old with sickle cell anemia.

From an article:

Loss prevention observed a group of women stuffing items inside their purses at the Walmart in the 14000 block of the North Freeway at West Road around 10:15 p.m., according to authorities. They notified an off-duty deputy who was working an approved extra job as security. 

The deputy confronted the suspected shoplifters as they exited the store, but the women would not cooperate. One woman struck the deputy with her purse and they all fled. 

The deputy chased one woman to her car and tried to stop her from leaving the parking lot. He opened her door and commanded her to stop, but she would not give up. 

The woman allegedly put the car in drive and revved forward, dragging the deputy. 

“I think it knocked him off balance and, in fear of his life and being ran over, he discharged his weapon at that point,” said Thomas Gilliland, Harris County Sheriff’s Office. 

Gilliland said it was clear that the deputy was law enforcement. 

“He was clearly marked in uniform as a Harris County deputy. And identified himself as the suspects were leaving the establishment,” Gilliland said.  

The injured woman fled the parking lot, but eventually stopped at The Worthington at the Beltway apartments in the 1300 block of Greens Parkway. Paramedics with the Houston Fire Department tried to revive her, but could not.  She was pronounced dead at the scene.

(a related article and news video)

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.



UPDATE (12/17/12):  The family of the victim is questioning the shooting and calling for a strict investigation.

UPDATE (3/9/13):  Frey's family is now suing Walmart for wrongful death.

Armed Robbery at North Carolina Walmart

Scene of Armed Robbery at Burlington Walmart

Occurred December 7, 2012.

A man changing a flat tire was held up at gunpoint in the parking lot of a Walmart in Burlington, North Carolina.  Luckily he was able to escape, and the gunman fled.

From an article:

Police say the victim told them he was changing a flat tire on his car when the suspect attempted to rob him with a handgun.  The victim said he was able to run away from the suspect by taking cover behind another vehicle.  

The suspect was seen getting into a four-door vehicle that police described as “newer-model,” “American-made” and “possibly a Dodge.”  The vehicle left the scene headed toward Garden Road.  

The suspect is described as a black male in his mid- to late-20s with a dark complexion.  He was wearing a black, zip-up jogging jacket at the time of the robbery.  

Police say there was also a woman with the suspect, however no ample description of the woman was available.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Armed robbery of a driver at Missouri Walmart

Occurred December 4, 2012.

A person allowed a man to get into his car in the parking lot of a Walmart in Columbia, Missouri, to give him a ride.  But the man instead pulled out a handgun, struck the driver with it, and demanded the driver go to an ATM and withdraw money for the gunman.  The gunman then escaped after robbing the driver, without harming him further.

From an article:

The victim gave the suspect a ride from the WalMart Super Center. Once the victim started to drive, the suspect pulled out a handgun and demanded the victim drive to the victim’s bank to withdraw money. Sometime during the ride to the bank, the suspect striked the victim on the head and facial area with the hand gun causing minor injuries.  The victim drove to his bank on Broadway and withdraws money. The suspect took the victim's vehicles, keys, wallet and electronics. The victim exited the vehicle and ran to the police department for assistance. 

The suspect stole a white 2002 Ford Focus with Missouri registration. He is described as a black male, 5'8" with a slender build in his late 20's to early 30's. The suspect was last seen wearing a black jacket, dark jeans, stocking cap, gloves, and armed with a handgun.

UPDATE (12/7/12): The stolen car has since been recovered.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

Man charged for 2011 shooting at Virginia Walmart

Scene of shooting at Hampton Walmart

On December 27, 2011, shots were fired outside the Walmart at Hampton, Virginia, between two individuals.  

One 28-year old man was injured in the shooting and treated at a local hospital.

From the article:

At 5:23 p.m., Hampton police began receiving reports of shots fired near the Walmart on Mercury Boulevard and Cunningham Drive. 

Officers searched the surrounding area for a possible victim, but no one was found.
At 6:15 p.m., 911 dispatchers in Newport News received a call about a shooting victim in the 800 block of Skelton Way. 

Newport News police spokeswoman Holly McPherson said the victim was later transported to a hospital in Newport News. The victim is in stable condition. 

According to Hampton police spokesman Jason Price, the shooting involved multiple shots between two individuals. Both suspects fled the scene, but police later located both vehicles. 

Police have not found the second gunman.

Now a 31-year old man, Ryan Christopher Fultz, has now been charged for the shooting.  From an article:

Ryan Christopher Fultz, a 31-year-old Newport News man, was taken into custody on Sunday and charged with one count of maiming, one count of use ofe a firearm in the commission of a felony, one count of revocation of a suspended sentence and one coutn possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was charged after police received an anonymous Crime Line Tip. He is being held in the Hampton City Jail. 

Two other men were also charged in connection following a tactical situation that took place at the Best Western located in the 1800 West Mercury Boulevard last year. But charges against those two men were dropped earlier this year, according to court documents. It was not immediately clear why charges were dropped.

Police said the victim in the case, at the time a 28-year-old Hampton man, was treated and released from the hospital.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.