Man Kills Grandma, Toddler Before Shooting Self In Florida Supermarket
KEY POINTS
- The murder-suicide took place around lunchtime
- Authorities have not found any motive behind the shooting
- Publix is now cooperating with law enforcement officers
A man fatally shot a grandmother and her young grandson before killing himself in a Florida supermarket Thursday morning.
Timothy J. Wall, 55, shot a 2-year-old and his grandmother at a Publix store inside The Crossroads complex shortly after 11:30 a.m., inciting panic among shoppers. Wall then turned the gun on himself and died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, reported WPLG.
"I heard, 'They're shooting!' A woman Publix worker said, 'Run! Shooting!'" Juan Guardia, who was near the deli section when the shooting happened, told Palm Beach Post. "I was scared. It's sad because everything happened fast. Everyone was running, some employees were crying."
The family of the victims has invoked Marsy's Law, so they will not be identified, CNN said in a report, citing the Sheriff's office.
Police have not found any motive behind the shooting and there is no known relation between the gunman and the victims.
"We're trying to determine what led up to the shooting," Teri Barbera, spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, told reporters. "We're talking to witnesses. We're reviewing video [sic]."
Dr. Ron Glassman, who had just parked his car near the mall when the murder-suicide took place, saw over 50 customers and employees running out of Publix. "I was about 100 feet away when I saw everyone running out of the store and yelling, 'Get back! Shots fired! Get back to your cars,'" he said as per CBS News.
"It was pretty chaotic. People were very shaken," Glassman added.
Police with helmets and bulletproof vests arrived at the scene a few minutes after the shooting began.
Publix, which operates over 800 stores across Florida, confirmed the shooting in a statement. "Our thoughts are with those who are impacted by this tragedy," it said.
The company is cooperating with law enforcement officers. However, it could not confirm any information with the press.
Earlier this week, three people were fatally shot and six more were injured during a drive-by shootout following a graduation party in Miami-Dade County, Florida. A week before that, two were killed and 20 others were wounded in a mass shooting near a Florida concert hall.
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