2 officers are shot, man is dead after Walmart shooting

Associated Press

CHANDLER, ARIZ.

Two officers are in stable condition, with one requiring surgery, and the suspect is dead after a shooting Saturday at a Walmart in suburban Phoenix, authorities said.

Mitchell Oakley, 24, was killed after opening fire at officers who were responding to a call about a trespasser, Chandler police said. A Walmart employee recognized Oakley as someone who had been ejected from the store in the past and called police around 6:30 a.m., police spokesman Seth Tyler said.

The officers encountered Oakley at the front of the store, just past the greeters’ area.

“As they approached, they were shot multiple times within a matter of seconds. A seemingly routine call turned into a deadly encounter within a split second,” police Chief Sean Duggan said.

The first officer entered the store and was fired upon immediately by the suspect, according to witnesses.

The second officer, who was in close proximity, was also shot but was able to return fire. It is uncertain if the first officer discharged his weapon. Both were wearing bulletproof vests.

Oakley was a transient, but he had family in the Chandler area, police said.