Three people were killed in an “arbitrary” shooting at a convenience store in Washington state and the suspect remains at large in the latest string of US gun attacks.
According to Gun Violence Archive, there have been eight mass shootings in the US in the past seven days, including those in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay and Oakland, California.
Police in Yakima, Washington, say the suspect, whom they have named as Jarid Haddock, 21, first drove into an ARCO/ampm gas station in the city and “tried to enter the lobby,” but the doors were locked.
The suspect then crossed the street to a Circle K and as he entered the store, he pulled out a gun and fatally shot two people
“As he walks into the store, he pulls his gun and there are two people getting food and he shoots them,” said Yakima Police Chief Matt Murray.
The suspect then walked out of the store and shot another person dead. According to police, the man then walked back across the street to the gas station, fired into another car and drove off.
“The suspected murder suspect is Jarid Haddock, a 21-year-old resident of Yakima County. If seen, call 911 immediately, do not approach. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. YPD and local authorities are following up on directions,” the Yakima Police Department posted on Facebook Tuesday morning.
Chief Murray said they have no idea why the shooting happened.
“This is a dangerous person and it’s random, so there’s a danger to the community,” Chief Murray said. “We have no motive and we don’t know why.”
Police say they have not yet identified the shooter or his location.
“We are working on leads and have strong leads now,” Chief Murray told TUSEN.
And he added: “It seems to be a random situation. There was no obvious conflict between the parties – the man just walked in and started shooting.”
