A deadly shooting in the parking lot of a San Antonio area Walmart on Thursday afternoon left one woman dead and another person hospitalized. The shooting sparked a multi-agency pursuit that ended with a Seguin man in custody, and the retail chain tells MySA it is “cooperating with local law enforcement” as the investigation continues.
“We would like to reassure the community that there is no continuing threat to public safety. Preliminary findings indicate that the suspect and victim were known to one another, and this incident does not appear to have been a random act of violence,” Lt. Mike McCann told MySA via email.
Officers responded around 4:51 p.m. Thursday, May 28, reports of shots fired in the parking lot of the Walmart located at 550 S. Highway 123 Bypass, according to a social media post from the Seguin Police Department. When officers arrived, authorities said the suspect had already fled the scene. Police identified the woman killed as 35-year-old Katrina Wheeler of Seguin. Authorities said she suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second victim, identified only as a 37-year-old man, was also found with gunshot injuries. Seguin EMS treated the man at the scene before he was airlifted to a San Antonio-area hospital. His condition has not been released.
Authorities later identified the suspect as 42-year-old John Wheeler of Seguin. According to police, the suspect vehicle was located outside the city at approximately 5:19 p.m. by the New Berlin Marshal’s Office.
A Walmart spokesperson told MySA via email, “The safety and security of our associates and customers is a top priority. We’re cooperating with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate.”
Multiple agencies, including Guadalupe County sheriff’s deputies, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and Seguin police officers, assisted in a low-speed pursuit. The pursuit ended in the 3000 block of FM 775, where Wheeler was taken into custody, police said. The Seguin Police Department says the investigation remains ongoing.
Several agencies assisted in the response, including the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Game Wardens, Texas Department of Public Safety, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, New Berlin Marshal’s Office and the Texas Rangers. In a social media update, the Seguin Police Department also thanked Walmart employees for their “attentiveness and cooperation” during the incident.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.