AL: Armed Citizen likely involved in Stopping Mass Shooting

 Image from wvtm13.com

Another legaly armed person has stopped a potential mass shooting in Hamilton, Alabama on February 10th, 2016.  The shooting occurred in the morning, a little over an hour before noon, over a distance of a couple of  blocks.  Two people, 67-year-old Donny Miller and 61-year-old Linda Miller were killed in separate offices.  The second victim was in an accounting office close to the bank pictured.l before the suspect was confronted and shot by the legally armed man.  A WVTM13 crew was on the scene less two hours after the shooting.  There is video from Marlei Marinez, from WVTM13.

In the video, Marlei Martinez reports that she spoke with a man who was waiting in the accounting office to pay his taxes.  He heard the initial gunshots,  then pursued the shooter, and took cover behind the bank pillars shown in the image above.  He exchanged gunfire with the shooter.  The legally armed man believed that he hit the suspect, Jimmy Cooper, twice.  That is consistent with the reports that Cooper has gunshot wounds to the arm and leg.

The shooting by the armed citizen is only mentioned in the video report; there is no mention of it in the transcript. 

The account appears to be verified by the Alabama Secretary of Law Enforcement.  From abc3340.com:

Although, we will conduct a thorough investigation of the officer involved shooting, the initial indication is that the deputies, officer and private citizen acted without hesitation and probably prevented the further loss of life,” Alabama Secretary of Law Enforcement Spencer Collier said in a release.

 It is not clear if the legally armed man shot Cooper before the Sheriff deputies arrived, or during an ongoing gunfight.  Most reports seem to be downplaying his actions.  From wbrc.com:

Two Marion County sheriff’s deputies and a Hamilton police officer engaged Cooper behind the First State Bank. A private citizen assisted law enforcment during the exchange of gunfire.

Authorities took Cooper into custody behind the Bank.

“He was not going to surrender. Not at all,” Sheriff Williams said.

It may be some time before we learn the precise details of the shooting; but this is likely another case where a legally armed person on the scene, was able to deter and/or stop the perpetrator until the peace officers arrived.

 
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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