An 81-year-old Georgia man died after police say he was shot as an innocent bystander in a Walmart parking lot, and investigators are still seeking public tips.
James McDaniel, 81, of Lula, was shot outside the Walmart on Shallowford Road in Gainesville, Ga., on Wednesday night and later died from his wounds.
WSB-TV reported that Gainesville Police confirmed his death Thursday morning and that investigators believe McDaniel was an innocent bystander.
Officers responded to the store around 7 p.m. after reports of gunfire in the parking lot. Police asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to help process the scene.
No suspect has been publicly identified. No arrests or charges have been announced. Police are asking anyone with information to call 911 or submit a tip online.
McDaniel was not described as a participant in whatever led to the gunfire. Investigators say they believe he was simply there when shots were fired outside the store.
That is the core of the case as it stands: an 81-year-old man from Lula died after a shooting in a retail parking lot where families shop, load groceries, and walk to their cars.
The store’s reopening timeline was unclear. Channel 2 Action News called to ask when the Walmart would reopen and received no response.
Gainesville Police have confirmed the death and the basic outline of the response. They have not released a public account of a shooter, a dispute, or a motive.
What is known is limited and blunt. Gunfire in the parking lot. Officers on scene around 7 p.m. An elderly man shot outside the store. Death confirmed the next morning. GBI assistance requested for the scene.
Until investigators name a suspect or describe what sparked the shooting, the public record stops at the victim and the place: James McDaniel, 81, killed in a Walmart parking lot in Gainesville while police treat him as an innocent bystander.
Ordinary people should be able to walk through a store lot without ending up in a homicide investigation. When that fails, the least the system owes the family is a full chase for whoever pulled the trigger.
