Gunman kills one employee at Walmart distribution center before police fatally shoot him

A man entered a Walmart distribution center in California and started firing at random targets, killing one person before officers fatally shot him during an exchange of gunfire, authorities said.

The shooter was identified as Louis Lane, 31, according to the Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston.

After the shooting at the facility in Red Bluff, he engaged with officers in the parking lot, where they exchanged about 20-30 rounds, Johnston said. Police added that he was using a semi-automatic rifle.

He was shot by police and was pronounced dead at a local hospital, the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office said.

The victim was Walmart employee Martin Haro-Lozano. He was transported to the hospital by an on-duty deputy sheriff due to the extent of his injuries, but later died, officials said. His relationship to the shooter is unknown at this time.

Lane worked at the Red Bluff area center in February 2019, but had been released from his job for failing to show up for his shift, authorities said.

Another victim was struck by the shooter’s car as he drove into the building and remains at the hospital. Johnston confirmed that a total of six people had been transported from the scene to local area hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to moderate.

He drove around the parking lot first

Dispatchers received multiple calls Saturday afternoon from the distribution center reporting an active shooter and multiple shots fired.

The shooter drove through and around the parking lot four times before crashing his vehicle into the lobby area of the building, the Sheriff’s Office said.

When he hit the building and the car caught on fire, he the exited the vehicle and began shooting randomly into the building and through the parking lot area.

The distribution center had a full shift, with hundreds of employees at the time of the shooting, authorities said. But there were only a few employees in the lobby area where the suspect crashed his car.

The Sheriff’s Office will release more details after autopsies are conducted Monday.

A Walmart spokesman told CNN they are aware of the situation and are working with law enforcement. The company released a statement saying they were “deeply saddened by this tragic incident.”

“Our focus is on supporting our associates, as well as their families and coworkers in the facility,” it said.