Gunman in Florida grocery store shooting that killed grandmother and 1-year-old is identified

The Palm Beach County, Florida, sheriff’s office has identified the gunman in a fatal shooting at a Publix supermarket Thursday as 55-year-old Timothy J. Wall.

According to authorities, Wall fatally shot a grandmother and her 1-year-old grandson inside the Royal Palm Beach grocery store before killing himself.

The motive in the shooting remains unknown. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office previously said there is no known relationship between the shooter and the victims, who will remain unidentified after their families invoked Marsy’s Law.

The sheriff’s office responded to the shooting at about 11:40 a.m., per the sheriff’s office, and witnesses describe a chaotic scene after gunshots rang out, with people running for their lives.

“People thought it was balloons being popped,” witness John Charles told CNN. He was trying to enter the store when he saw people running out. Store employees told him not to enter, he said.

“I was about to walk to the produce department and get some bananas for lunch and didn’t make it to the store.”

Witness Ron Glassman also saw the incident from the store’s parking lot, telling CNN affiliate WPEC, “Everyone started coming out, yelling, ‘Active shooter, shots fired, get out, get out.'”

Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay issued a statement asking for thoughts and prayers for the victims’ family and painted the shooting as yet another example of the scourge of American gun violence.

“We’ve become too numb to gun violence,” McKinlay said on Twitter.

“Tomorrow we must step up and engage in a very honest conversation about why this happened and what we can do specifically to prevent this violence,” she said. “Inaction is not an option.”

A spokesperson for Publix told reporters Friday the store had been disinfected and rearranged.

“We discarded any product that was impacted and we also redesigned the layout of our store,” said Maria Brous, Publix Supermarkets director of communications.

The employees impacted are being offered grief counseling, Brous said. The timing of the store’s reopening will likely be announced Friday.