One person is dead following an officer-involved shooting late Saturday morning at the Walmart on Georgia Street in Amarillo.
According to Interim Police Chief Jimmy Johnson, the situation began around 11:40 a.m. when a store employee called 911 to report a suspicious vehicle parked in the store’s lot. Officers were dispatched and located a blue Volkswagen Jetta with a lone occupant inside.
Officers attempted to make contact with the individual, but he was unresponsive. One officer noticed a firearm inside the vehicle and immediately backed off, prompting officers to take a more cautious approach.
Shortly afterward, officers reported hearing what they believed to be one or possibly two gunshots come from inside the vehicle. In response, one officer discharged their weapon, firing toward the vehicle.
When it was safe to approach, officers found the man inside the car deceased. Multiple bullet holes were observed on the passenger side of the vehicle, indicating the exchange of gunfire.
The man’s identity is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.
At this time, authorities have not determined whether the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or from the officer’s return fire. An autopsy will be conducted to establish the cause of death.
Police have secured the scene and are continuing their investigation. Walmart customers and employees were not injured in the incident, though the parking lot was temporarily closed as law enforcement gathered evidence and documented the scene.
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