2 People Injured, Suspect Dead in Washington Walmart

Police responded to a reported shooting at a Tumwater, Washington Walmart Sunday afternoon, involving multiple victims stemming from a failed carjacking.

According to NBC News affiliate, KING, the shooting happened at about 5 p.m. at the Walmart Supercenter on Littlerock Road in a busy commercial area. Officials did not give the status of the victims.

The Thurston County fire department described the scene as a “mass casualty incident,” according to KIRO7 reporter Deedee Sun. There were at least two victims, Sun reports. Officials later confirmed to Sun that the suspect was dead.

Sun also reported that the fire department called “mass casualty incident” out of precaution.

The suspected gunman, who is confirmed dead, shot two — a man who sustained two gunshot wounds and was airlifted to a hospital, and a 16-year-old girl, who was wounded at a different location where the incident may have begun with a carjacking.

A witness told Sun she heard at least 10 shots fired.

Another witness told KING he heard two gunshots before people started leaving the store. “Once we determined that it was gunshots, we left immediately. And we didn’t stop until we were out of the area,” witness Ralph Faulder told the station.

At least one male patient is being treated at Harborview Medical Center.

“I looked over and saw hundreds of people running out,” another witness told Sun. “Just a flood of people and everyone was screaming and frantic. … When we got about to the door, I heard someone say, ‘Gun. Shooter.’ And I knew something was serious.”

“I was in the dairy section,” witness Darren Gossler tweeted. “Heard about 5 or 6 pops. Ran out a side emergency exit and attempted to run to my car in the parking lot but heard 4 more pops in the lot. Caught a quick glimpse of a male with what appeared to be a handgun. Ducked under some cars and ran to Costco.”

Kailani Bailey told The Olympian she was shopping when a tall man ran into the building, yelling, “Move! Move!” A few moments later she heard a “pop, pop, pop” and someone yelled at everyone to run. Then, she heard more “pop” noises.

By the time she got to the car, she saw the man running out of the store and trying to get into other parked cars. When she finally could move her car, Bailey saw a woman trying to escape, so she told the woman to get into her car and they drove to a Coscto.

“I’m glad I was able to help that woman, but I wish I could have helped more,” Bailey said.

The crime scene includes outside and inside the Walmart. There was also crime tape seen near a car with a door left open.

Witnesses also told KIRO7 they saw a carjacking near the scene and a hit-and-run. However, police did not confirm this.

Austin Jenkins of the Northwest News Network spoke with one Walmart employee who said it was a customer who opened fire in the sporting goods department. A mother from Eugene told him a civilian shot the gunman in the parking lot, but this was also not confirmed by authorities.

Jenkins also reported there was a body seen in the parking lot, thought to be the shooter.

Linda Wohl, a spokeswoman for the Tumwater Police Department, told reporters police first responded to reports of someone driving erratically in the parking lot before they heard about a reported shooting of a 16-year-old girl near the Tumwater high school. While responding to that report, the gunman stole a car then headed to Walmart. The female victim was treated for minor wounds.

Once there, the suspected gunman tried to carjack another vehicle and shot the car’s owner, a man. Then, a civilian shot the gunman.

Despite reports from customers, Wohl said it was not clear if the shooter entered the Walmart.