ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. – A man fatally shot a woman and a toddler before turning the gun on himself Thursday morning inside a Publix in Royal Palm Beach, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office says.
The two victims were a grandmother and her grandson, who was about to turn 2 later this month. Their names have not been released, but investigators have identified the gunman as Timothy J. Wall, 55, of Royal Palm Beach.
PBSO says there is “no known motive or relationship between the gunman and the victims, however, detectives are still investigating.”
All three were found dead with gunshot wounds shortly before noon, PBSO spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.
The young boy’s father was called to the scene to identify his child.
The Publix is located at 1180 Royal Palm Beach Boulevard in The Crossroads shopping center, by the corner of Okeechobee Boulevard.
The store will remain closed until Saturday. Personal items people left behind at the store were bagged up and can be picked up Friday between 9 a.m. and noon in front of the Publix.
Detectives remained at the scene for hours Thursday investigating what led up to the suspected murder-suicide.
The shootings are believed to have happened in the produce section of the supermarket.
“I was about 100 feet away when I saw everyone running out of the store and yelling, ‘Get back ... shots fired,’” said Dr. Ron Glassman, who was in the Publix.
Another witness said that after the shootings, employees began running and telling shoppers to get out.
“She said, ‘Run, run. It’s a shooting, shooting run!’” said Juan Guardia, who was at the deli area when he heard a gunshot come from the produce section. “After that, I got out from the back side, the back gate.”
This man, Juan Guardia, tells us he was inside of the #Publix when the shooting happened, and that employees started yelling for everyone to get out. @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/foLts6tuq4
— Ian Margol (@IanMargolWPLG) June 10, 2021
A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy happened to be nearby the Publix and rushed inside, but by then all three were already dead.
“We have three individuals deceased right now and we don’t have the next of kin notified, so please understand this is a long process,” Barbera said.
She said PBSO is documenting the scene, talking to witnesses and reviewing video to determine a motive for the killings.
Royal Palm Beach is a village about 15 miles west of West Palm Beach, just north of Wellington.
A spokeswoman for Publix, Florida’s largest grocery chain, said “our thoughts are with those who are impacted by this tragedy” and that the store is cooperating with local law enforcement.