Police detective commits suicide by gun in California Walmart parking lot

Occurred November 27, 2014.


A Los Angles Police detective, Dennis Derr, committed suicide in his car, while parked in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Palmdale, California.  He was facing accusations of molesting two female relatives who were teens at the time of the alleged abuse.

From an article:

Dennis Derr, 52, was found in his car in the parking lot of a Walmart in Palmdale on Thanksgiving morning, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, news outlets reported. 

The Los Angeles Times said Derr was a 17-year LAPD veteran, and a detective since 2006. Derr was assigned to the Van Nuys division of the LAPD, the paper said, and had worked on a team that handled sexual assault cases. 

He had also served as a pastor or bible studies teacher at two churches, his son Philip told the paper. 

A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department sergeant confirmed two adults had made sexual abuse allegations against Derr. 

The abuse had allegedly occurred when they were teenagers, the Times reported. 

The relatives informed Derr's wife of the abuse, Philip Derr said. She wrote her husband a note saying she was aware of the allegations, and left the family home while he slept, Philip Derr said. 

Dennis Derr wrote an email to family members the following morning, Nov. 27, making what the paper described as "a vague denial'' of the allegations, and suggesting he had decided to kill himself. 

His body was discovered later that day.

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Political extremists kill two police and conceal handgun owner in pizza place and Nevada Walmart before being killed

Occurred June 8, 2014.

Scene of Las Vegas Walmart shooting (source)

Las Vegas police officers Alyn Beck, 41, and Igor Soldo, 31, were at a CiCi's pizza restaurant when they were ambushed by two shooters, a married couple, Jerad and Amanda Miller.  The shooters shouted "This is the start of a revolution!" and draped the dead bodies with a Gadsden flag.

The pair then went across the street to a Walmart store.  There they told everyone to get out, waving guns around and cursing.  From an article:

A law enforcement official who has been briefed on the incident said an officer — unconfirmed reports indicate it was Soldo — was refilling a soft drink when the female shooter approached him from behind and shot him in the head, killing him instantly.

The woman then shot the other officer several times as he drew his pistol. Gillespie said the officer was able to return fire but it was unclear if he hit anyone.

One officer was reported dead at the scene, while the other died later in surgery at University Medical Center.

Witnesses told police one of the shooters yelled “This is the start of a revolution” before shooting the officers. Gillespie later said he could not confirm that.

The shooters then stripped the officers of their weapons and ammunition and badges, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. They then covered the officers with something that featured the Gadsden flag, a yellow banner with a coiled snake above the words, “Don’t tread on Me.”

The flag is named for Christopher Gadsden a Revolutionary War general who designed it. It has recently come back in vogue as an adopted symbol of the American tea party movement.
The shooters left the pizza parlor and headed into the Wal-Mart across the street at 201 North Nellis. Witnesses at the scene reported hearing shots fired in quick succession inside the Wal-Mart.

At a news conference at about 1 p.m. Assistant Sheriff Kevin McMahill said the male shooter, described as a tall white man, yelled “everyone get out” before shooting.

At this point, a citizen with a concealed handgun, Joseph Robert Wilcox, decided to intervene instead of flee.  Wilcox pulled his gun, but was ambushed and shot from behind by the female suspect, killing him.  From an article:

After executing two Las Vegas police officers at CiCi’s Pizza, Jerad Miller entered a nearby Wal-Mart, at Nellis Boulevard and Stewart Avenue, fired a round in the air and ordered everyone to leave, setting off a panic. It was at that point, instead of running, Wilcox approached Jerad Miller from behind.

Law enforcement sources said Wilcox, who had a concealed weapons permit and carried a handgun, was ready to “end it” when Amanda Miller, who was behind Wilcox, shot and killed him.

 Wilcox had dreamed of being a police officer:

Wilcox had considered joining the Metropolitan Police Department several times, his mother said.

The pair of shooters then went deeper into the Walmart store.  From an article:

Both shooters were reportedly carrying large duffle bags, and a bomb squad was called to the scene. It’s unclear what, if anything, was found in the bags. A fire department official said the bomb squad response was “a precaution.”

Hector Garcia was shopping in Wal-Mart’s arts and crafts aisle toward the back of the store when he encountered a man brandishing a gun. He looked like he was in his 20s, was wearing camouflage and had a duffle bag draped over his shoulder.

He said the shooter appeared calm when he pointed the gun at him and said, “Don’t run.” The gunman, Garcia said, continued walking to the back of the store. Garcia said that store employees were evacuating customers through the back of the store.

More police and SWAT responded.  At this point there was a shootout (VIDEO), and both suspects were shot to death (initial reports were that the female had killed the male, but the police later refuted this and claimed police shot him; it appears that Amanda Miller committed suicide). 

The Millers had armor-piercing bullets, were well-armed with a number of guns, and even smashed the gun case in the Walmart to continue arming themselves.  From an article:

Jerad and Amanda Miller wore adult diapers and carried four handguns, a shotgun, water and food, Gillespie said. The couple also smashed a Wal-Mart sporting-goods display case with a baseball bat to get more ammunition as they exchanged gunfire with SWAT officers, he said.

The husband and wife died June 8 after being cornered in the back of the store in the 15-minute shootout. In all, 52 shots were fired by the Millers and police inside the store. The husband and wife fired 36 shots, Gillespie said, and police fired 16.

The Millers had been part of the Bundy Ranch standoff, but were kicked out when their behavior was too extreme and dangerous.  Jerad Miller was also a felon.

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Man shoots himself to death in Nevada Walmart store

Occurred December 15, 2013.


An man with a handgun entered a Las Vegas, Nevada Walmart, entered the sporting goods department, then fatally shot himself in the head in an apparent suicide.

Walmart allows conceal carry in its stores.

From an article:

The Clark County coroner’s office identified the man who shot and killed himself at the Wal-Mart Supercenter near Nellis Air Force Base on Saturday morning. 

Karl Joseph Tresemer, 35, of Medford, Ore., shot himself in the head with his own gun in the sporting goods section of the store located at 4350 N. Nellis Blvd. near Las Vegas Boulevard about 6:15 a.m., Las Vegas police said. 

He had walked around the store for a few minutes, but did not threaten or pointed his gun at anybody prior to killing himself, according to police. 

The manner of death was ruled a suicide by the coroner’s office.

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Man commits suicide at Montana Walmart after buying shotgun there

Occurred October 2, 2013.

Scene of suicide at Billings Walmart

A man walked into a Walmart store in Billings, Montana, and left with a newly-purchased shotgun.

He then got into his car in the parking lot and committed suicide with the weapon.

From an article:

Billings Police say a man in his early 20s walked into the store around 11 AM Wednesday and bought a shot gun. They say he left the store, got into a vehicle parked in the fire lane and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. 

Police continue to investigate what happened.

Another fatal shooting, by law enforcement officer against an escaped convict, had happened in June at a Billings Walmart as well (the same one?).

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Two people dead from murder/suicide in Ohio Walmart parking lot

Occurred September 8, 2013.


After gunshots were reported, two people were found dead in a car in the parking lot of a Walmart in Salem, Ohio.

From an article:

According to the Salem Police Department Facebook page, two people were found dead in the Walmart parking lot. At Approximately 2:40 a.m. Salem police received a 911 call of reported shots fired at the Walmart, 2875 E. State St. Upon arrival, officers located a deceased female and male in the southeast parking lot of the store. A Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun was also located near the male. Several witnesses have been interviewed and store security video is being analyzed. 

According to another article, it was a murder/suicide, where the shooter killed his former girlfriend and then himself.

The female victim, Sylvia Maillis, 37, was an overnight support manager at the Walmart.  Her ex-boyfriend who did the shooting, Charles Kropinak, 36, had a conceal carry license.  From another article:

[Maillis and friends] returned to the employee parking lot next to the market side of the store and were inside her car when her ex-boyfriend, 36-year-old Charles Kropinak, of Campbell, pulled up a couple of spaces down and exited his vehicle. 

She exited her vehicle and the two argued, then Kropinak pulled out a 9mm Ruger semi-automatic handgun and shot Maillis multiple times before shooting himself. 

They were both dead at the scene, with the handgun found near Kropinak. Police received the first 911 call at 2:40 a.m. from a caller at Walmart who said somebody had been shot.
...
She had a 9-year-old daughter and had worked for Walmart since 2005. According to Davis, she had a Canfield address but lived on Washingtonville Road. 

He couldn't confirm whether she had a protection order against Kropinak or not, saying he couldn't find a record of one and if she had one previously, it must have expired. He confirmed that Kropinak did hold a conceal carry permit. A protection order prohibits the person the order is against from having a firearm.

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Man with marital problems shoots himself to death in Texas Walmart

Scene of shooting at Conroe Walmart

Occurred February 9, 2013.

A 35-year old man walked into the pharmacy area at a Walmart in Conroe, Texas, sat on a bench, pulled out a semi-auto handgun, and shot himself in the chest in an apparent suicide.  He died at the scene.  

His wife, with whom he was having marital problems, worked at that pharmacy and was there at the time.

From an article:

Sgt. Jeff Smith arrived at the location within a minute, and found a 35-year-old male lying on the floor near the pharmacy department with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Smith performed CPR in an attempt to save the victim until paramedics arrived. 

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The victim’s wife, who is an employee at the Walmart pharmacy, was on scene and attempted to help her husband. 

Witness information revealed that the couple had been having marital problems.
The Walmart store was evacuated for the police investigation. There were no other injuries to store employees or patrons. 

Witnesses and surveillance cameras indicate that the man entered the pharmacy department and immediately sat down on a bench in the waiting area. 

Shortly thereafter, he removed a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and shot himself. Police said there wasn’t time for anyone to intervene before the victim shot himself.

The man was a father of three children.

(a related article and news video, and raw video of the scene)

UPDATE (2/11/13):  The victim is identified as Joseph Watson, who works as a prison guard in Huntsville.  The gun he used was a 9mm semi-auto pistol.

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Man found shot to death behind West Virginia Walmart

Occurred January 17, 2013.

A man has been found shot to death behind a Walmart in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in what might have been a suicide, with a single shot to the side of his head and a .38 revolver found next to him.

From an article:

Thursday January 17, 2013, at approximately 9:00am, Martinsburg Police officers responded to the  Wal-Mart on Foxcroft Avenue, in reference to a man down with a firearm beside him.  Police officials say that upon arrival, officers found a white male lying between stacks of recycled debris with a Ruger .38 revolver next to him.  Their preliminary investigation determined that the decedent had sustained a single gunshot to the side of the head and that one round had been fired from the handgun lying next him.  It was also determined that the decedent had been lying in the position he was found in for several hours. 

The man who has yet to be identified, is described as an older balding white male over 50 years of age with white hair.  Police say that they believe the decedent had a physical impairment to his left hand.  He was wearing a red polo shirt, black jeans a grey zipped hooded sweatshirt, a fanny pack and had black shoes on. 

An autopsy is scheduled to be performed at the Charleston Medical Examiner’s Office on January 18, 2013.

As of 1/18/13, the shooting has been ruled a suicide, but the deceased has not yet been identified.

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Man commits suicide at Alabama Walmart gas station

Scene of suicide at Hartselle Walmart gas station

Occurred August 12, 2012.

A man was reported as intoxicated at a Walmart gas station in Hartselle, Alabama.  When police arrived to investigate, the man pulled out a handgun and shot himself to death.

From an article:

One man is dead after he shot himself near the Walmart on Highway 31 Sunday afternoon. 

Huntsville Police said they responded to the Fuel Dock gas station at the Walmart in Hartselle where a man was intoxicated. When police approached the car, the man pulled out a gun and shot himself. 

He was taken to Decatur General where he died. His name have not been released.

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Man shoots himself to death in New York Walmart parking lot

Occurred June 15, 2012.

An elderly man was in the parking lot of a Walmart in Warsaw, New York, when he shot himself to death in an apparent suicide.

From an article:

Deputies from the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office were called to the Walmart in Warsaw after witnesses reported seeing a man shoot himself. 

Authorities say the incident happened around 8:30 p.m. on Friday in the Walmart parking lot along Route 19. The Warsaw man was in his 70s and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his apparent suicide. At least two witnesses saw the incident and several heard the gunshot. 

Deputies are not releasing the victim's name at this time.

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Man at Virginia Walmart distribution center opens fire, injuring manager and then killing himself

Dinwiddie Walmart distribution center crime scene

Occurred February 22, 2012.

33-year-old Melvin D. Taylor, Jr. "just didn't seem together" the day he showed up for his job at a Dinwiddie, Virginia Walmart distribution center.  After his lunch break, he walked to the back of the building and opened fire, injuring 40-year-old Wynette Starks, a manager at the facility, in the leg.  He then exited the building, where police were arriving, and had a shoot-out with them.  Taylor then committed suicide.

From an article:

A co-worker said Melvin Taylor "just didn't seem together" shortly before he shot a supervisor, and then turned the gun on himself at the Walmart distribution center in Dinwiddie County. 

The employee, who did not want to be identified, told 8News the woman who was shot is 40-year-old Wynette Starks, a manager at the facility. She was shot in the leg, and is expected to recover, Dinwiddie Sheriff D.T. "Duck" Adams said.  

Investigators said Taylor, 32, walked to the back of the building and opened fire after returning from his lunch break on Wednesday afternoon. He then went back outside and shot at deputies before killing himself, according to authorities. No deputies were injured.
....
Co-workers told 8News they noticed something wasn't right with Taylor the day of the shooting, but they are shocked by what happened. 

"He's gonna give you 120 percent every day, but he definitely wasn't himself. I saw him and there was just something about him today," an employee said after the incident. 

Walmart spokesperson Dan Fogleman issued a statement about the shooting. It reads in part: 

"We appreciate the quick response of local law enforcement and are grateful there were no additional injuries. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the community, our associates, the victim and the families of both associates involved as we collectively try to come to grips with what has happened."

(a related article with video and 911 call)

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