Two persons were shot dead and four others were injured in a shooting at a Walmart distribution center in Northern California. The attack took place on Saturday in Red Bluff, 209 km (130 miles) north of Sacramento. Officers of the Red Bluff Police Department reached the scene, engaged the suspect in a shootout and struck him. Details on his condition are not known.
According to a witness, a vehicle crashed into the building and caused a fire just at the time of the attack. When he reached out to help a woman who was trapped, he heard gunshots being fired. He went to the office and heard more gunfire. He swiftly hit the panic alarm and called 911.
The car that rammed into the building was a white SUV that belonged to the suspect. It caused a small fire that was not significant.
Lt. Yvette Borden of the Tehama County Sheriff's Office said station deputies were dispatched to the scene, based on the report of an active shooter. Chief Kyle Sanders of the Red Bluff Police Department said his officers reached the scene before the Tehama deputies, engaged the suspect in a gunfight and struck him.
After reaching the scene, the officers were encountered with gunfire by the suspect, a male adult, who shot at one or more officers, Sanders said in a statement. It was then that a police officer and a sergeant used their duty rifles and shot at the suspect, he added, NBC News reported. He was taken to a local hospital. His present condition is not known. None of the police officers were injured in the incident.
Allison Hendrickson, spokeswoman for St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff, said two victims died in the attack. Four others were injured, but are in a fair condition.
In a statement, Walmart's spokesman Scott Pope said they are aware of the situation and are working with law enforcement to investigate the incident. He did not share any further information.
