Man fatally shot outside Muncie Walmart; suspect held on murder charge
MUNCIE, Ind. — A Delaware County man was fatally shot outside the northside Walmart store on Saturday night. Within minutes of the shooting, Muncie police had a suspect in custody.
Emergency responders were sent to the parking lot of the store, at 4801 W. Clara Lane, at 8:44 p.m.
A man reported to have a gunshot wound in the head — later identified as 34-year-old Samuel L. Gillum of Eaton — was taken by ambulance to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Shortly after 9 p.m. authorities were told a possible suspect was running along North Nebo Road, about a mile west of the shooting scene.
A short time later, that person — Tyler C. Abrams, 32, of Muncie — was taken into custody, in a wooded area along the 2000 block of North Nebo, according to Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell.. He was taken to City Hall for questioning.
Criswell said about 2:30 a.m. Sunday that Abrams would be preliminarily charged with murder, criminal recklessness and obstruction of justice. He was expected to be held without bond in the Delaware County jail.
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A vehicle that had been seen at the shooting scene was also reportedly found. A firearm was located in that vehicle, according to scanner traffic.
"There is no ongoing threat concerning this case," Criswell said early Sunday.
In the wake of the gunfire, police marked off a large area of the store's parking lot with crime scene tape and asked customers in the lot if they had witnessed anything. The store remained open.
The deputy police chief asked anyone with information on the shooting to call city police detectives at 765-747-4867, or police dispatchers at 765-747-4838.
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Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Man fatally shot outside Muncie Walmart; suspect held on murder charge
