A Florida grandmother is being hailed a hero for bravely struggling with a gunman in a Florida Publix on Thursday morning and possibly preventing him from shooting more people.
According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the gunman fatally shot the woman’s one-year-old grandchild before the 69-year-old woman stepped in to fight the man. During the struggle, the man’s gun jammed before he shot the grandmother and turned the gun on himself, according to People.
“Because of her brave actions, his gun jams,” the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet.
The Sheriff’s office is barred from releasing the victims’ names after family members invoked Marsy Law. However, the shooter was identified as 55-year-old Timothy J. Wall.
According to authorities and Wall’s family members, he struggled with mental health issues and had financial problems. USA Today reports that Wall’s ex-wife’s sister said he had schizophrenia. In addition, Wall had written on Facebook before the shooting that he wanted to kill people and children.
There is no known relationship between the gunman and the victims. Police are uncertain about the motive behind the shooting. A total of 30 people who were in the store and either saw or heard the shooting were interviewed by investigators. Surveillance footage of the shooting was also recovered. The investigation is still ongoing.
