KILLEEN, TX- A 53-year-old man is dead after being fatally shot by police after he crashed his truck through the doors of a JC Penney store at a Texas mall while fleeing police, injuring five shoppers in the process.
The suspect, John Darrel Schultz of Kempner, Texas, drove his pickup into the department storage in this city about 70 miles north of Austin, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The incident occurred Saturday afternoon during the busy last weekend before Christmas.
Sgt. Bryan Washko of the Texas Department of Public Safety told reporters that as Schultz continued through the store, he struck several people as he went. EMS transported four victims to area hospitals, while another went to the hospital on their own. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 75 years old; their condition was not immediately known, Washko said.
The incident began at approximately 5:00 pm on Interstate 14 in Belton, about 20 miles from Killeen, after 911 operators received numerous calls about an erratic driver operating a black pickup, Ofelia Miramontez of the Killeen Police Department said.
While being pursued by police, Schultz exited the highway and drove into the mall parking lot.
“The suspect drove through the doors and continued to drive through the JC Penney store, striking multiple people,” Washko said. “The trooper and the Killeen police officer continued on foot after his vehicle, which was driving through the store, actively running people over. He traveled several hundred yards.”
Washko said that given the suspect’s disregard for human life, officers from the Texas DPS, Killeen, and three other police agencies “engaged in gunfire to eliminate the threat.” He said one of the officers who exchanged gunfire with Schultz was working as a security guard at the mall while others were off duty.
Witnesses told local news media outside the mall that they heard multiple gunshots and saw shoppers fleeing through the mall.
“There’s people in hers shopping for their families, their children, their friends, loved ones, and these kinds of things we don’t like to see, obviously, and we pray for their recovery,” Washko said.
A spokesperson for the mall told CNN the incident was unfortunate.
“It’s unfortunate that this has happened, and our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this incident,” the spokesperson said. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of our employees and guests. As the investigation is ongoing, we cannot provide any further comments.”
One witness, Nathan Carrasco, told CNN he was in his car with some friends when he saw a truck drive through the JC Penney door and run people over. He said two police cruisers chased the truck in the parking lot, and just as the truck was about to be cornered, the truck drove through the department store doors.
“There were people lying on the floor with glass everywhere,” Carrasco said, telling CNN he and his friends got out of the car to make sure people were OK. He said people rushed to assist victims, including a woman and young girl who were bleeding.
Another witness, Catherine Dedden, told CNN her dashcam captured the chase on a nearby highway, which runs adjacent to the mall, while she was in the mall parking lot.
“We turned around in the parking lot and the chase was in front of us,” Dedden said, telling the outlet she did not actually witness the truck driving into the building.
“I saw a little girl being carried by a police officer,” she said. “Her head was bleeding; she was shaking. I asked if there was anything I could do to help. The officer was shaken; his full attention was on the child as he bandaged her. They took her into the ambulance.”
One man, Will Parker, said he and his wife were next to a coffee shop near the JC Penney when they heard several gunshots and saw people running.
“I grabbed my wife, and we went into the coffee shop. We locked up in a back room,’ Parker said, where they waited for about 15 minutes until they were escorted out of the mall by a security guard.
“It was a mess,” Parker continued. “I’m thankful to the gentleman, the security guy, that helped us out.”
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