Gunman carjacked 5 vehicles before armed citizen shot him dead, Tumwater cops say

TUMWATER, Wash. --  Police identified a 44-year-old man from McCleary, Washington as the suspect in a string of carjackings and a shooting at the Tumwater Walmart.

Tim Day is the only suspect, Tumwater Police said Monday.

Day was shot and killed by an armed civilian in the Walmart parking lot after a crime spree spanning three locations.

Police have identified the customer who killed the suspect as a 47-year-old man from Oakville, Washington.

What happened




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

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

Day 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. Day was successful in carjacking a third vehicle that he drove to Walmart, police said.

Upon arriving, officers found a 16-year-old boy and another victim 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 Day 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 Day 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 shoppers saw Day inside Walmart and followed him outside.

Before attempting the carjackings, Tumwater Police said Day went into the Walmart and fired at a locked ammunition display case. He then removed some ammunition and left the store.

'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 the 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.

Shoppers are hailing that man a Father's Day hero.

"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 dinnertime to pick up some items for a barbecue 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 Adams.