Pennsylvania State Police say man shot by trooper outside Lower Macungie Walmart fired 'one shot' at police

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper shot and killed a man suspected of shoplifting outside the Walmart in Lower Macungie after he pulled a gun on a trooper, authorities said at a news conference Thursday morning.

State police Capt. Richard D’Ambrosio said the man pulled a handgun out from his waistband and fired one shot at troopers who confronted him, and a trooper returned fire and killed the man.

He said the trooper, a four-year-veteran, just this week started working at the Fogelsville barracks.

Police did not identify the dead man, who was shot about 9:25 p.m. Wednesday outside the store at 1091 Mill Creek Road, just south of Hamilton Boulevard.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said a preliminary investigation shows the trooper’s use of force was “appears justified.”

The man, who is in his 20s and from Berks County, fired one shot at the trooper while fleeing, D’Ambrosio said. The trooper fired a total of nine gunshots at the man, who died sitting in the driver’s seat of the van. D’Ambrosio said at least seven shots struck the man.

The man came into the store wearing a “lifelike mask” and was spotted by a store loss prevention officer, who recognized the man as possibly being involved in a shoplifting at another Walmart location, he said. The store called state police to respond.

After the trooper confronted the man in the vestibule of the store, the man ran off, ignoring the trooper’s commands to stop and left behind a shopping cart filled with items that included several gas cans, authorities say.

At the scene late Wednesday, store employees said the man had been reported for shoplifting earlier in the evening, and may already have carried stolen items to a white minivan when he came back inside and was confronted by the trooper.

State police chased the man through the store before he ran outside and died in gunfire, store employees said.

The man was able to get into the minivan, parked about 50 yards from the store, and died there, the workers said.

Bob Reid and his wife went to the Walmart on Wednesday evening looking for a hand-mixer to make cookies for Easter, he said.

They parked and were almost in the store when Reid said he heard a “pop, pop, pop” behind him. “That’s gunshots,” he recalled telling his wife as they hurried into the side entrance of the Walmart.

Inside the store, announcements were made over the loud speaker that the store was in lockdown, said Reid, a retired Emmaus mailman who served in the Navy. He said the parking lot was soon swarmed with state police and emergency vehicles.

Emotions were high inside as some feared a second person may be inside, locked in a bathroom, Reid said. However, state police soon entered the store and assured everyone that the situation was under control, he said. Troopers escorted everyone in the store to their vehicles.

At one point, during the hour-long ordeal, a female manager tried to calm Reid’s wife, but was herself was overcome with emotions, Reid said.

“‘We trained for this,’” Reid said she told the couple. “‘Never in a million years would you think this would happen.’”

After the gunfire, a line of nine troopers, flashlights in hand, marched side-by-side across the parking lot looking for evidence of about a half-dozen gunshots reported there. Investigators also closely searched the minivan.

The young man ran out the Walmart’s “grocery” entrance, which from the parking lot is the entrance to the right, employees said. The second of the two entrances is the “home and pharmacy” door, to the left.

Only seconds after trooper followed the man outside, shots rang out, the workers said.

The body was carried on a stretcher from the minivan to a nearby coroner’s hearse about 12:25 a.m. Thursday.

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Timeline of Walmart shooting

Man shot and killed Wednesday evening

8:50 p.m.: Man enters store wearing “life-like mask”

8:50-9:07 p.m.: Man walks around store for at least 15 minutes, Walmart employees believes he matches description of suspected thief at another store

9:07 p.m.: Walmart employee calls state police to investigate

9:09 p.m.: State police arrive, confront man in store vestibule

9:25 p.m.: Witnesses say man dies after being shot

12:25 a.m.: Witnesses say body is put in coroner's hearse

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awagaman@mcall.com

Twitter @andrewwagaman

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