The armed assailant who entered a Lenexa Costco store on Sunday was a 58-year-old Kansas man who was shot by an off-duty policeman who happened to be shopping at the store.
Lenexa police say the gunman was Ronald O. Hunt of Edwardsville, Kansas. No other details about the man or his motives have been released.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department says the officer who shot Hunt at the store was Capt. Michael Howell, a 22-year veteran of the force. Howell says customers in a panic alerted him to the man who was pointing a firearm at employees and patrons.
The department released a statement Monday afternoon saying Howell faced a “deadly force situation,” in which he shot Hunt. Hunt was declared dead at the scene.
People took to social media to thank Howell, who was shopping at the Costco when Hunt allegedly entered the store, waving a gun and shouting angrily.
Man walks into a Lenexa KS Costco store today, gets far into the store and pulls out a gun and starts waving it around. Off-duty police officer who was there to shop pulls his weapon and shoots to abate the threat. Remember, the blue line is there for us.
Employees screamed for patrons to go outside at the back of the store as they tried unsuccessfully to lower the large metal gates to prevent Hunt from entering.
No one else was injured.
Witnesses praised Costco for its speedy and effective response.
The Lenexa police say no further details will be released at this time in the ongoing investigation.
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