Gwatney Shooting: Suspect Quits Job At Conway Target Before Shooting

Today's THV has learned from an anonymous source that worked with 50-year-old Timothy Dale Johnson at the Conway Target that Johnson's rage started around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Johnson's co-worker says graffiti laced with curse words concerning a hallway were found by management. The graffiti said, "This hall is too *** **** narrow."

Store managers called a meeting. We're told they asked if whoever wrote the graffiti to step forward and admit it and he or she wouldn't be fired. Our source says store management later found the same graffiti signed and dated by Johnson.

Over the next hour or so, Johnson's co-worker says he wrote on a door and another hallway again with objectionable words. "Target is run by dumb jocks and sorority *******."

A third graffiti was found on the human resources door saying, "sorority *******." Our source tells us that management talked with Johnson and then Johnson stormed off and left the building.

Conway police tell Today's THV they were called to Target around 8 a.m. about a disgruntled employee. When police arrived Johnson had already left.

The Conway police incident report says, "Johnson seemed to be extremely irate." The report confirms that Timothy Dale Johnson did write some graffiti on Target's wall. It goes on to say that "Johnson was no longer employed with Target and was not allowed access to the property."

Police tell Today's THV that Target employees were fearful Johnson was going to come back.

Target released the following statement Wednesday night. "In regards to the suspect, we can confirm he was an hourly employee at the Conway, Arkansas Target store since November 2006. He voluntarily quit his job earlier this morning. He had no history of behavioral or performance problems at Target. In the preceding days, he worked his regularly scheduled shifts without incident."

There is still no motive for the shooting.

Police say Johnson entered Democratic Party headquarters on West Capitol Avenue around noon and said he wanted to volunteer. Then he barged into Gwatney's office and shot him three times. At a late afternoon news conference, Little Rock Police Lt. Terry Hastings said Gwatney was shot multiple times in his upper body.

Hastings said there is no known connection between Gwatney and Johnson. A sales clerk at a flower shop across street from the party headquarters said that around noon, Gwatney's secretary ran into the shop and asked someone to call 911. She said a man had come into the party headquarters and shot Gwatney several times.

Authorities say that shortly after the shooting at the Democratic headquarters, a man fitting the Johnson's description threatened workers at the Arkansas State Baptist Convention headquarters located several blocks away. Business manager Dan Jordan says a man with a gun told another manager that he'd just lost his job. The man reportedly pointed a gun at a security guard, but didn't fire.

Police say Johnson fled in a stolen truck. Johnson led authorities on a high speed chase from downtown Little Rock into Grant County. The chase ended in Sheridan, about 50 miles south of Little Rock, when police managed use a vehicle maneuver to cause Johnson to lose control of the truck after he evaded a roadblock.

Police say Johnson then fired two shots at a Grant County sheriff's unit. Grant County deputies and Arkansas State Police troopers returned fire, wounding Johnson. He was airlifted to a Little Rock hospital where he died.

Johnson lived in a home on Janet Lane in Searcy.

Investigators with Little Rock police could be seen removing items from Johnson's home.

Neighbors describe Johnson as a quiet man who lived at the home for about 20 years and many were shocked to hear that Johnson was involved in chairman Gwatney's death.

Police however say that Johnson did not have a prior criminal record and there is still no word tonight on the motive behind the shooting.