Man pulls handgun and threatens rival for girlfriend at Maine Walmart

Occurred December 31, 2013.


On New Year's Eve, a 23-year old man, Matthew Dewitt, was in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Ellsworth, Maine, when he got into a confrontation with another man over his former girlfriend.  He then pulled a gun on the man and threatened to kill him.

From an article:

Matthew W. Dewitt, 23, was arrested New Year's Eve after officers from multiple agencies went to Walmart on Myrick Street, Ellsworth police said. Police had been told a man with a handgun was outside the store. Responding officers found Dewitt in a vehicle parked in the Walmart parking lot.

Dewitt is accused of pointing a handgun at his rival during a confrontation in the parking lot over Dewitt's former girlfriend, according to police. Dewitt was arrested without further incident on charges of criminal threatening and threatening display of a dangerous weapon, Ellsworth police Sgt. Shawn Willey wrote in an incident summary report.

The article didn't say if Dewitt had a conceal carry license.

Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.

A drastic increase in Walmart Shootings in 2013!

(image from Per's Decent Blog)

Here at the Walmart Shootings blog, I continue to chronicle the shameful trend of gun crimes and shootings committed at nationwide Walmart stores.

In 2012, I was amazed to have chronicled a whopping 54 shootings at Walmart stores, more than one a week.  Here is a list.  Along with 24 non-shooting gun crimes, this amounted to 75 gun crimes that I could find.

Little did I realize that 2013 would blow the previous year out of the water!

In 2013, Walmart stores had 81 shootings, surpassing the previous year by last October!  That's 27 more shootings, or a 50% increase over 2012!  Those shootings left 24 people dead and 40 injured on Walmart properties nationwide.  See a full listing HERE.

But the shocking figures don't stop at shootings.  Armed robberies using guns at Walmart stores were also up substantially.  In 2012 there were a mere 21 that I could find.  In 2013, that number jumped to 75!  That's a whopping three and a half times more armed robberies with guns in 2013!

In all, there were at least 195 different gun-related crimes and accidents at Walmart stores nationwide in 2013, a drastic 2.5-times increase!  The vast majority occurred in the parking lots, but there were plenty inside the stores too.  There were 8 accidental shootings, 6 kidnappings using guns, 3 incidents of stray bullets, and 34 incidents that involved shoplifters.  Ten incidents were drug-related.

The NRA wants us to believe that arming people more would solve the problem, but the facts contradict that philosophy.  In 2013, people with conceal carry permits were RESPONSIBLE for twelve incidents of gun crimes and accidental shootings!  And the only self-defense shootings that happened on Walmart properties were by law enforcement and an armored car security guard.  In fact, three separate illegal shootings were committed by active Walmart employees!  Walmart currently allows conceal carry in its stores.  You would think that 12 incidents by permit holders would get them to rethink that policy! 

Law-enforcement involved shootings at Walmarts also jumped by 100%, up from 10 in 2012 to 20 in 2013!

Walmart continues to sell guns and ammo in many of their stores, including assault weapons.  They sell more guns to civilians than any other gun seller in America, and probably the world.  Often those gun displays are poorly-watched.  I've seen in myself!  No wonder that there were at least 15 different incidents in 2013 of guns and ammo stolen from Walmart stores, many of which were never recovered to my knowledge.

So what is it that causes Walmart stores to be such a magnet for gun crimes and shootings??  That's a question that Walmart will have to answer, and they'd better do it fast.  People are dying and getting maimed at their stores, and the numbers are only increasing!

That's why their motto should read:

 Walmart.  Save money.  Die faster.