James Edward McDaniel, 81, Dies After Being Struck During Walmart Parking Lot Incident in Gainesville, Georgia
James Edward McDaniel, an 81-year-old Lula resident and innocent bystander, died following an incident shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Walmart parking lot on Shallowford Road in Gainesville, Georgia.
First responders transported McDaniel in critical condition to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, where McDaniel later died.
A couple leaving the neighboring Target reported hearing five or six shots before Gainesville police arrived and closed the grocery side of the Walmart parking lot.
Authorities kept the area closed late into the night while officers examined the scene.
Gainesville police requested assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as they continued examining the circumstances surrounding McDaniel’s death.
Authorities had announced no arrests and had not disclosed who caused the incident or why it began.
Investigators believe McDaniel had no connection to the people involved and was simply visiting the store during an ordinary evening.
Police continue seeking witnesses and video from the area, asking anyone with information to contact 911 or submit an online tip.
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