Civilian shoots, kills gunman at Tumwater Walmart; 2 others hurt



TUMWATER, Wash. -- A shooting outside a Walmart Supercenter in Tumwater Sunday evening was the end result of a crime spree from the now deceased gunman, police said. That gunman was killed by a 47-year-old armed civilian in the Walmart parking lot.

Tumwater Police spokeswoman Laura Wohl said it all happened about 4:40 p.m. when officers were alerted to a possible carjacking near a gas station.

Wohl said the suspect approached a family and attempted to take their car, but was not successful. The suspect then fled the scene, drove the wrong way on Highway 101, and quickly exited into the City of Tumwater.

The suspect crashed the vehicle at the intersection of Tyee Drive and Israel Road SW, near Tumwater High School, police said.

He then left his car and attempted to carjack at least two other people, fired shots at the vehicles, and demanded owners abandon their cars. The suspect was successful in carjacking a third vehicle that he drove to Walmart, police said.

Upon arriving, officers found a 16-year-old boy suffering from minor injuries.

"As we were speaking to witnesses at that scene, we get another call of shots fired here at Walmart," Wohl said.

Tumwater Police said the suspect tried to carjack two cars in the Walmart parking lot at 5900 Littlerock Rd SW.

One driver was shot when he refused to give up his car, Wohl said. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. As of Monday, the man was in critical condition and in intensive care.

As the suspect tried to take a second car a "bystander here in the parking lot shot the suspect," Wohl said.

According to a police release, two armed civilians initially approached the suspect.

Police believe the gunman is the suspect in all three incidents. He has been identified as Tim Day, 44, of McCleary. There are no other suspects in the carjacking incidents or reported shootings.

Before attempting the carjackings, Tumwater Police said the suspect went into the Walmart and fired at a locked ammunition display case. He then removed some ammunition and left the store. No customers or employees were injured.

"He is a hero"




Bryan Adams said he was inside Walmart when he heard two gunshots. He had hoped the noise was actually helium balloons popping.

"We all frozen and were looking around," Adams said. "Then it was like boom, boom, boom, and it was like 'those aren't balloons' and we started running."

Adams said he ran out of the store and into the parking lot toward his car. The gunman, not far away, then shot a driver of a car he was attempting to steal.

Adams said he then saw a father with his family take out his concealed weapon and shoot the gunman dead.

That man is being hailed a hero by shoppers.

"He is a hero," Adams said. "He took action. I really think more people could have been shot... he saved us all."

Quick trip to the store




On this Father’s day weekend, Robert Berwick swung by this Walmart around dinner time to pick up some items for a barbeque with his family.

“I was going to buy a water filter, and that was toward where the shooting was, but I decided to go for bricks first, and those little decisions in your life can make a difference. It’s that decision that put me away from the shooting,” said Berwick.

He said once he heard the gunshots he started running with other customers.

“People are grabbing their kids and pushing them in front of them and saying go, go, go and starting heading toward the nearest exit and you just start running and you don’t know where to run to in all honesty,” said Bryan Adams, who was one of the customers inside the store.