WESLACO, Texas (KVEO) — Tonight, a shooting suspect is dead after exchanging gunfire with police inside a Weslaco Walmart.

“I was pulling up and I seen a gentleman, young man approximately 25, mid-to-late twenties, carrying an AK-47 into the store,” said witness John Allen.

Allen is a Mercedes resident who said he made contact with the shooting suspect.

“He was very upset that I stopped him, and he was wanting to know who I was, those kinds of things. I said I was just a soldier, and I’m concerned citizen and you’re not shooting anybody in this store today,” said Allen.

It was a little after three in the afternoon when Weslaco Police received reports of a man dressed in black with an assault rifle inside the Walmart off Texas Boulevard.

“The suspect entered the Walmart through the north side entrance, had a confrontation with a customer, ended up pointing a gun at the customer. That’s still being corroborated through video and eyewitnesses. He made his way straight east to the back of the store,” said Police Chief Joel Rivera.

Rivera said two minutes after the call, police made contact with the suspect.

“They gave him orders to throw the gun. He threw the gun on the ground. He refused to show his hands. At some point, he produced a handgun. Officers attempted to resolve the situation through the use of ‘less than lethal.’ The suspect fired at officers and the officers returned fire,” said Rivera.

Rivera said the suspect died on scene as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. According to officers, the suspect seemed distraught concerning a medical condition but did not give much detail.
Police said the suspects identity will be released once the family is notified.

No other injuries were reported during this shooting.