Police: U.S. airman shoots Wal-Mart workers, kills self

By James MacPherson and Blake Nicholson, Associated Press

Published Tuesday, May 26, 2015 | 8:53 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, May 26, 2015 | 1:31 p.m.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — A U.S. airman walked into a Wal-Mart Supercenter early Tuesday and opened fire with a handgun, killing one worker and injuring a second before turning the gun on himself, police said.

Police said the shooting that occurred a few minutes after 1 a.m. may have been random, with no link yet found between Marcell Willis, 21, and either the store or the employees. Willis was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base, about a dozen miles west of the city.

"We've not been able to find any linkage to him and any of the victims. That's not to say that can't change," police Lt. Derik Zimmel said during an afternoon news conference. "There's no apparent motive that jumps out at this time."

Authorities did not immediately identify the two workers who were shot or a third worker they say Willis shot at but missed. The injured person was taken to Altru Hospital in Grand Forks with a gunshot wound that was not believed to be life-threatening, Zimmel said. An Altru spokeswoman said the person was listed in "satisfactory condition" Tuesday afternoon.

Willis was given medical treatment at the scene and taken to Altru, where he was pronounced dead, Zimmel said.

Willis was the only person with a gun and no police officers fired a weapon, according to Zimmel. A handgun was recovered near Willis' body, Zimmel said.

Andy Legg, who was in the store at the time of the shooting, told WDAZ-TV that he heard "popping sounds" shortly before authorities herded him and other customers to a safe section of the store.

"I saw people running. At that time, we heard people screaming, one yelling for help," he said.

When police later escorted them from the building, they passed a Wal-Mart employee lying on the ground, covered in blood.

"It's just something you don't see every day and really don't want to see," Legg said. "I had goose bumps for probably two hours after that."

A SWAT team that responded to the scene searched a car in the parking lot but found no threats.

The Wal-Mart is one of two in the northeastern North Dakota city of about 55,000 people. The store is open 24 hours, though it was closed Tuesday while authorities investigated the shooting. The company said it did not know when the store would reopen.

"We are deeply saddened about this situation and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," the company said in a statement. "We are still learning information about the events surrounding this tragedy and assisting law enforcement in their investigation."

Wal-Mart spokesman Brian Nick said in a statement that there were about 30 employees and 20 customers in the store at the time of the shooting.

"There weren't a lot due to the early morning hour," Nick said.

About 1,500 airmen are assigned to the Grand Forks Air Force Base, the military said. The base was home to air refueling tankers for 50 years until a round of military base closings and realignments took that away. The last tankers left in 2011 and the base has taken on an unmanned aircraft mission.