Surveillance video shows gunman firing shots inside Kalamazoo grocery store
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A gunman who fired several shots inside a Kalamazoo grocery store before shooting at a pursuing officer remains on the run. But police said they have collected several pieces of evidence.
Surveillance video from inside Tienda Guatemalteca on South Burdick Street showed the store owner serving a customer at the counter Saturday evening. That was when the masked gunman walked in while pointing his rifle at the customer and owner, demanding money. The owner then went into his office and closed the door. The gunman briefly pointed his rifle at the customer as the customer was holding out his wallet. As the gunman returned his attention to the office door, the customer ran away.
The gunman looked around the counter before firing several shots into the office door, damaging it. But he was not able to get into the office. The video later showed the gunman walking out of the store empty-handed.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) said officers found the suspect's vehicle a few minutes later heading south on South Burdick Street, in the area of Candlewyck Apartments. The suspect then crashed his vehicle and ran away on foot. When an officer got close to the gunman, the suspect opened fire on the officer's patrol car, said KDPS. The officer chased the gunman as he continued shooting at the officer. Police said despite conducting a thorough search of the area, the suspect was able to escape.
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No one was hurt in the shootings.
KDPS said investigators collected several pieces of evidence, including a mask that appeared to be the one used during the attempted robbery. Police said they also recovered a weapon and obtained surveillance video of the suspect after he took off his outer clothing.
Anybody with information on the gunman's whereabouts is asked to contact KDPS' Criminal Investigations Division at 269-337-8139, Silent Observer at 269-343-2100, or the Kalamazoo Consolidated Dispatch Authority at 269-488-8911.
The owner of the grocery store said a gunman also entered his store last year.
