The Walmart located on Shallowford Road in Gainesville, Georgia (Google Maps).
An 81-year-old man was in the parking lot of a Georgia Walmart when a stray bullet from a nearby shooting fatally hit him, authorities say.
James Edward McDaniel was identified by the Gainesville Police Department as the victim. The law enforcement agency has not yet announced any arrests.
“[O]ur hearts are broken for the family and friends of Mr. McDaniel,” Police Chief Jay Parrish said. “No words can adequately express the sorrow we feel for them. This gentleman was simply trying to go about his day, provide for his family, and return home to those who loved him. Instead, they are left to pick up the pieces and try to make sense of a senseless act of violence committed by criminals who have no regard for anyone other than themselves.”
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On the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 14, McDaniel was walking in the parking lot of the Walmart located on Shallowford Road in Gainesville, Georgia. The city is located about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted in the parking lot, and a bullet hit the man, “who investigators believe was an innocent bystander,” police said.
Authorities responded to the scene and found McDaniel in critical condition, local ABC affiliate WSB reported. The victim died on the way to the hospital.
McDaniel’s wife, Gloria McDaniel, told the outlet that her husband “was a very happy person. And he wanted to be with his family.”
In addition to his wife, James McDaniel leaves behind four children, 10 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, according to area NBC affiliate WXIA. His wife has dementia, his family shared.
Police say the investigation to find the shooter remains active, and officers are asking for the public’s help to share any information they know.
The post 81-year-old man in Walmart parking lot going ‘about his day’ shot dead by stray bullet, leaves behind a wife with dementia: Police and family first appeared on Law & Crime.
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