Why are there so many shooting incidents and other gun crimes on Walmart property?

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Three Texas teens found with stolen realistic pellet guns, drugs, and stolen car at Walmart in New Mexico

Occurred July 23, 2013.


Three teen boys from Texas, ages 16, 17, and 18, were on the run with a stolen car and wound up being captured in the parking lot of a Walmart in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  In the car with them were three realistic-looking pellet guns and drugs.  At least one of the guns had been reported stolen  from a Walmart store.

From an article:
Baca checked the license plate and VIN number on the vehicle and discovered the truck had been stolen out of Seminole, Texas, where the two juveniles, Javier Mares and Curtis Kelly, were from. Officer Norman Bowie found several homemade marijuana pipes, loose marijuana, three black pellet handguns and bottles of Crown Royal and Malibu Red inside the vehicle, according to the police report.  
The report states officers caught the driver of the Toyota Tundra, later identified as Edgar Madrid, 18, of Hobbs, attempting to break into another vehicle south of Walmart.  
Baca said an officer saw a gun on the ground in front of the Dumpster where Madrid was hiding and asked Madrid to raise his hands. Madrid then started to reach down to his waistband, most of his body still behind the Dumpster, Baca said. Officers reportedly did not know the gun was fake and had been stolen from Walmart until Madrid was placed in custody. 
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Man steals realistic pellet guns from Illinois Walmart and uses one to hold off police

Occurred July 23, 2013.


Store employees at a Walmart store in Wood River, Illinois, witnessed 20-year old Nicholas S. Middleton opening several realistic-looking Airsoft pellet guns and shoplifting them.

When police arrived, Middleton put one of the guns to his head.  Police held back, and Middleton fled.  Eventually police stopped Middleton, who continued to threaten to harm himself with the gun, until police found an opportunity and captured him.

From an article:
Steward said the man ran from store security after they allegedly witnessed him ripping open several Airsoft pellet gun packages. An Airsoft gun typically is designed to shoot plastic pellets with a compressed gas cartridge. They are non-lethal in nature but designed to look like a real weapon, Steward said. 
When police finally took the man into custody, he had “four or five” of the guns in his possession, the chief said. 
The suspect ran to his vehicle, a 1999 Ford Contour, in the store parking lot at 610 Wesley Drive, just as officers were converging. Immediately, he began pointing one of the guns at his head while outside his car, Steward said. 
The situation kept officers at a distance, allowing the man to get in the car and drive away. He hit numerous curbs with his tires on the way out of the lot. 
He fled north on Wesley Drive and got as far as Old Oak Road in Rosewood Heights before a front wheel came off his car. By that point, three of four tires were flattened from various impacts, Steward said. 
Officers from Wood River, Bethalto, South Roxana, Roxana and Madison County were involved in the pursuit and surrounded his car, their own guns drawn, Steward said. The man continued to hold the gun to his head. 
“At some point, he got angry and banged the gun on the side of the car, and it fell into the street,” the chief said. “That’s when they were able to take him into custody.”

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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Man with realistic-looking pellet gun attempts robbery at Pennsylvania Walmart

Occurred July 23, 2013.


A man, Orlando Coleman Jr., entered a Walmart store in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, produced a gun, and pointed it at a sales clerk, demanding money.  When the clerk refused, he then fled.  He was captured soon after.  The gun, it turns out, was a realistic-looking Airsoft pellet gun.

From an article:
According to state police, the suspect pointed a weapon at the clerk and demanded money. 
However, authorities say the man left after the clerk told him she was not able to open the drawer unless a purchase was made. 
The suspect, identified by police as Orlando Coleman Jr. of Uniontown, was arrested about a half mile from the store while walking along Route 40 with his girlfriend. 
State police say they also recovered an Airsoft BB-type weapon. 
Coleman is facing charges of simple assault and criminal attempt to commit armed robbery.
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Sunday, July 21, 2013

Woman shot and injured in North Dakota Walmart parking lot

Occurred July 19, 2013. 
Scene of shooting at Williston Walmart


(UPDATED -- see below)

A woman was shot in the thigh in the parking lot of a Walmart in Williston, North Dakota. She fled to a neighboring gas station/cafe and called 911.

From an article:
The Williston Police Department reported a 9-1-1 call came in at 2:27 a.m. reporting shots fired in the parking lot at Walmart. 
When officers arrived on the scene, they located a female inside the gas station at Lonnie’s Roadhouse Cafe with a gunshot wound to her thigh. She was transported to Mercy Medical Center by ambulance to receive medical treatment. 
The police have not released her identity or the extent of her injuries.
(a related news article)

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UPDATE (7/23/13): It turns out that the woman unintentionally shot herself, and likely was using drugs at the time.  From an article:

Court records say Williston police responded early Friday to a report that a woman had been shot in the Walmart area. Officers located Simon in the bathroom of Lonnie’s, a cafĂ© near Walmart, and Simon told an officer she had been shot by one male in a group of three males. 
However, the officer found a pistol in Simon’s purse and Simon then said the shooting could have been an accident but she didn’t remember how it happened, court records state. Court records accuse Simon of shooting herself in both legs while she was within one foot of at least one other individual. 
Officers also observed a spoon with white residue consistent with methamphetamine inside the purse, as well as bras with Walmart price tags still attached. Simon also is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C felony.
.

Armed robbery in Louisiana Walmart parking lot

Occurred July 18, 2013.


There was an armed robbery by two men with a gun in the parking lot of a Walmart in Lafayette, Louisiana.

From an article:
Police say two black men approached the victim at gunpoint and demanded his personal property. The victim handed over his belongings, and the suspects fled the scene. The victim was not injured.

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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Michigan teen uses realistic-looking air pistol in attempted robbery at Walmart

Occurred July 11, 2013.


Three patrons were just outside a Walmart store in Lyons Township, Michigan, when 17-year old Jonathan Hakkon Dahl approached them and pulled out a handgun.  He threatened to shoot them unless they gave him money, saying it was for a drug debt.  One of the victims then went into the store under the pretense of getting Dahl money, but called 911 instead.  Dahl was subsequently arrested.

The gun turned out to be a CO2 pistol.

Two of the victims were 19, another was 18.

From an article:
Authorities report that Dahl was waving a “handgun” — what was later described by authorities as a Umarex CO-2 pistol — at the victims, demanding money. 
“(He) told the victims he needed money to pay someone back for drugs,” said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Chris Wundrach in a Friday press release. “He also told the victims that if he didn’t get the money, that some people were going to shoot up his neighborhood with AK-47 (rifles).” 
One of the victims, a woman, convinced Dahl that the trio would go into the store, get money out of the ATM inside and bring it to him, deputies reported. 
The woman called 911 once she was inside the Wal-Mart, while Dahl remained outside in front of the big box store. 
When deputies arrived, Dahl led them on short chase, but he was caught and taken into custody shortly after.
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Carjacking at gunpoint by four teen gang members at a Georgia Walmart

Occurred July 6, 2013.
Scene of armed carjacking at Peachtree City Walmart



Four teen boys, one aged 14, the others 16, who were apparently in a street gang, carjacked a woman at a Walmart store in Peachtree City, Georgia.  Luckily, the female victim was not injured.

The teens then ran through a police checkpoint with the stolen car and a chase ensued.  The driver crashed the car and was arrested.  The other three teens escaped, but were eventually tracked down and arrested as well.

From an article and video (which gives names of suspects):
Three teenagers – all 16 years of age – are also under arrest in connection with the armed carjacking that happened in front of the Walmart last Saturday afternoon. 
Peachtree City police say the Zaviaire Baitley, of Atlanta, approached a shopper around 2:30 p.m. at the Walmart on Georgia Highway 54 and stole their car at gunpoint. Baitley then sped off in the vehicle. 
Officers responding to the scene set up a perimeter at the major intersections of the city. Minutes later, police located Baitley driving the stolen vehicle traveling northbound on Highway 74 from Highway 54, police said.  
Baitley refuses to stop at a checkpoint and a police went after the stolen car. 
A high-speed chase caught on video, and exclusively obtained by FOX 5 News, shows the suspect weaving in and out of traffic and running stop signs and red lights.  
Baitley avoided Stop Sticks deployed by the Fayette County Sheriff's Office in the area of Hwy. 74 at Milam Road, continuing northbound on Hwy 74.  From I-85 northbound, the pursuit continued on Interstate I-285.   
Police say Baitley was involved in a motor vehicle collision while exiting the interstate at the intersection of Cascade Road and I-285, in Fulton County, where he was taken into custody. 
Police worked through the night to try to find Baitley's accomplices. They caught up with two of them --Demetrious Watson and Nathan Gullatte, both of Palmetto. 
All four teens are charged with armed robbery, hijacking a motor Vehicle and participation in a criminal street gang. Baitley, in addition to the above charges, faces felony attempt to elude, numerous traffic charges and illegal drug possession.  

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Gunman robs New York Walmart .. again

Occurred July 11, 2013.


A report of an armed robbery by a gunman at a Walmart in Massapequa, New York:
According to police, at 10:12 a.m. on Nov. 19, 2012, a man entered the Walmart at 200 Sunrise Mall. He was armed with a gun and robbed the store of an undisclosed amount of money.
This same store was robbed at gunpoint back in May, and also had a report of a man with a stolen gun in it, back in February.

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Armed Robbery of New York Walmart

Occurred May 11, 2013.

Back in May, a manager allowed an unknown person into a Walmart store after hours, in Massapequa, New York.  That stranger then robbed the store, holding the manager at gunpoint.


From an article:
At 1:25 a.m. an unknown black male was let into the store, after closing, by a manager who assumed that the man was a store employee, according to authorities. 
Once inside, the man brandished a black handgun and ordered the manager to empty the contents of the store’s safe into a black duffel bag before fleeing the scene.
This store has now been robbed again (as of July 11, 2013).
This same Walamrt store also had a report of a man with a stolen gun, in February, 2013.
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Thursday, July 11, 2013

State Trooper shoots and kills armed carjacker in Houston Walmart parking lot

Occurred July 10, 2013.
Scene of shooting at Houston Walmart parking lot



A Texas state trooper happened to witness a carjacking or robbery in process, at a Houston Walmart parking lot.

When the trooper confronted the suspect, the suspect pointed a handgun at him, so the trooper shot once and killed the suspect.

From an article and news video:
One person is dead after an officer opens fire in a store parking lot. A DPS Trooper says he happened to drive up as a man appeared to be attempting to carjack or rob drivers in Northwest Harris County. Then, according to the trooper, the man set his sights on him and pulled a gun on the trooper. That turned out to be a fatal mistake.

It was a pretty packed parking lot there at Walmart at 3:30 in the afternoon when some say they spotted a man with bizarre behavior. "Some witnesses say he was breaking into cars here at the Walmart," says Texas DPS Sgt. John Sampa. Sampa says a 12-year veteran of DPS, an African American officer, was patrolling when he was driving by and saw the man trying to pull open the doors of moving cars on FM 529 near Highway 6 in Northwest Harris County. "The trooper pulled into the parking lot to do more of an investigation of what the young black male was doing in the middle of traffic. As he was conducting his investigation the young black male pulled a weapon out on the trooper. That's when the trooper shot him one time," Sampa says the suspect was so close to the trooper the man's 380 handgun actually fell inside the trooper's SUV after the man was shot.
There were at least two other shootings at Houston Walmart stores in 2012 (HERE and HERE).

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Two men commit robbery at gunpoint in South Carolina Walmart parking lot

Occurred July 8, 2013.


A man went to the parking lot of a Walmart in Lancaster, South Carolina, to give a down payment to a seller of a car from Craigslist.  Instead, two men showed up and robbed him at gunpoint.  The men escaped, along with a third man believed to drive the get-away vehicle.

From an article:
A Charlotte man told police earlier this week that two men robbed him at gunpoint in the Walmart parking lot on Monday around 11 a.m. 
They took cash and the victim’s wallet, keys and two GPS systems before running away, police said. 
The man arranged to meet at the Walmart in response to a Craigslist ad about a vehicle for sale. He was supposed to be giving the seller the down payment, police said.


Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/07/10/5012276/rock-hill-man-arrested-in-lancaster.html#storylink=cpy
Two suspects have been arrested:  Malcolm Shaquille Williams, age 18, who turned himself in, and Jequavis Tyanthony Clyburn, age 26, who was arrested at his home.

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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Man with gun license unintentionally shoots himself in Pennsylvania Walmart parking lot

Scene of unintentional shooting at State College Walmart
Occurred July 9, 2013.


A man carrying a concealed handgun, with a conceal carry license, was in the parking lot of a Walmart store in State College, Pennsylvania, when the gun fell out of its holster.  When he tried to pick it up, he unintentionally discharged it, striking himself in the hand.

From an article:
According to Petrick, the 45-year-old victim was walking through the Walmart parking lot when a passing driver waved him across the road, "He jogged across the traffic way, the gun fell out of his holster, he picks it up and it discharges," says Petrick. 
"He had several bags in his hand and was rushing to pick up the gun and got tangled up." 
The gunshot, fired from a .40 caliber Glock, struck the man in his right hand. 
He was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center for treatment. There's no word on the extent of his injuries. 
Petrick says no one else was hurt and, "The bullet fell right there on the asphalt." 
The victim has a valid firearm carry permit. No charges will be filed.
He's lucky no one was killed -- this time.  With no charges, there's nothing to stop it from happening again.

Remember, Walmart supports conceal carry in its stores.  This is at least the 9th time someone with a legally concealed handgun has unintentionally or purposely shot themselves or others at Walmart stores in 2012 or 2013.

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Gun stolen from vehicle in Alabama Walmart parking lot

Occurred July 9, 2013.


From the police blotter for Huntsville, Alabama:
Sparkman Drive: A Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun was stolen out of a vehicle at Walmart at 10 p.m. Sunday.
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Sunday, July 7, 2013

Montana prison escapee shot to death by police in Walmart parking lot

Occurred July 5, 2013.
Onlookers overlooking the scene of the Billings Walmart shooting


(UPDATED - see below) 42-year-old Dean Randolph Jess broke out of Montana State Prison.  He was spotted in a stolen vehicle in a Billings, Montana, Walmart parking lot.  When police arrived, they blocked his exit from the parking lot.  This is when Jess pulled out a gun and fired on police.  Police fired back, hitting and killing Jess.

From an article, with video of the scene and interview with police.
A sheriff's deputy driving back from Laurel swung past the West End Wal-Mart and saw a green Jeep Rubicon leaving the parking lot. Linder said that officer and two others who quickly joined him positioned their vehicles to block the Rubicon. 
Linder arrived on the scene shortly thereafter and said he could see the man in the Rubicon holding a pistol in front of his chest. Linder said the deputies shouted at the man repeatedly to put the gun down and get out of the vehicle. 
At one point, Linder said, one deputy shouted "Don't do it!" 
"At that time, shots were fired," Linder said. 
Just one deputy fired multiple rounds from his Glock 21 .45-caliber handgun, striking Jess an unknown number of times, Linder said. Deputies then broke into the Jeep and pulled Jess from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Linder said the deputy, who was placed on leave pending an investigation of the shooting, evidently thought Jess was raising the gun in his direction. Linder said he was behind the deputy when the shooting happened and couldn't see where Jess's gun was at that point. 
"The deputy felt that his life was in danger," Linder said.  
King Avenue West was shut down for several hours during and after the standoff. 
Witnesses at the scene said at least six deputies surrounded the Jeep, and after several minutes of shouting at Jess to drop his gun they tried to smash out the Rubicon's windows with their batons, without success. 
Witnesses thought they heard four shots. 
“Everyone was pointing guns at the car and then I heard ‘Get out of the car. Get out of the car. Get out of the car,’" said one bystander who was stopped at the intersection right behind the sheriff’s vehicle that pulled Jess over. "But the guy didn’t move. Then they started breaking the glass and then pop, pop, pop, pop." 
Immediately after the shots were fired, Jess was pulled from the vehicle and set on the ground, where he was motionless. The hatchback of the Rubicon was opened to reveal camping equipment and what appeared to be fishing waders.  
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UPDATE (7/9/13):  The officer who shot Jess is identified as Lieutenant Shane Skillen.  See HERE for news video of the shooting and aftermath.

Update (4/16/14):  The officer who shot Jess, Lt. Skillen, has been cleared of wrongdoing during the inquest.  It's clear that Jess intended suicide-by-cop.  He was shot four times by Skillen before dying.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Wanted robber shot dead by police in Arkansas Walmart parking lot

Occurred July 3, 2013.
Scene of shooting at Rockport Walmart



Brandon Rennie Turner, 34, had just robbed a convenience store in Hot Spring County, Arkansas.  He was already a wanted man for robbery and attempted robbery, and was a high-risk sex offender.

He was spotted by police and pulled over in the parking lot of a Walmart supercenter in Rockport, Arkansas, just outside of Malvern, Arkansas.

A shootout occurred between Turner and the police officers, and Turner was killed.

From an article:
It was a normal Wednesday morning at the Wishbone General Store until Turner walked through the door.  
"While I had my back turned, he had cocked the gun like he was ready to shoot," explains store clerk Blanca Carrillo. She says as she handed over money from the cash register, a customer walked into the store. 
"He pretty much saved my life. If he wouldn't have came in he would have shot me," Carrillo says.  
After robbing the Wishbone, and leaving behind a terrified clerk, police say Turner took off down Highway 84 toward Malvern.  
After the robbery, officers were told to be on the lookout for Turner and his white Toyota Tacoma 4x4.  
He was also wanted for attempted murder and robbery in Hot Springs, and police say Turner was also a high risk sex offender.  
When Rockport Police stopped Turner in the Walmart parking lot near Malvern, police say he fired a shot at an officer.  
That's when police say the officer fired three times and Turner was killed. 
(a related article)

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