Employee shot, killed at Wal-Mart

A fatal shooting at the Kaufman Wal-Mart was confirmed Tuesday afternoon by the Kaufman Police Department.

Police say a man walked into the store and shot an employee several times, killing the man, before attempting to kill himself.

The gunman, who witnesses identified as 55-year-old Donald Ray Coleman, entered the store just before 9:40 a.m.

Coleman entered through the Outdoor Living section of the store, walked up to the victim and shot him several times “before the victim knew what happened,” Capt. Ed Black of the Kaufman Police Department said. Coleman then reportedly shot himself in the head. At one point authorities believed Colman was deceased, calling the incident a probable murder-suicide.

He was airlifted to a Dallas hospital and remains in critical condition.

The victim has been identified as 59-year-old John D. Morgan.

Black said several people witnessed the incident.

Kaufman investigators are looking into reports of an ongoing feud between the two men.

Black said the men have had an ongoing feud that has gone back around six weeks.

“This wasn’t random,” Black said. “They had a history.”

Coleman and Morgan both lived in Henderson County.

The incident was first reported as an active shooter situation, before being called a potential murder-suicide.

Black said that as soon as the shots were heard, employees were evacuated.

There were no other injuries and no one else was targeted, Black said.

After the incident occurred, Wal-Mart media relations released a statement saying, “We’re deeply saddened by the tragic situation that occurred in our store today.  We’re assisting law enforcement however we can and our thoughts are with the families and our associates at this time.”

The store was locked down throughout most of the morning while authorities responded.

Kaufman Independent School District locked down all of their campuses after receiving reports of shots being fired. Kaufman High School is less than a mile away from the Wal-Mart.

The lock down was lifted around 10:30 a.m. after law enforcement said the scene was secure.

Wal-Mart remained closed for the remainder of the day.

This is not the first run in with police that Coleman has had. On Jan. 17, Donald Ray Coleman of Gun Barrel City was charged with aggravated assault of a family member.

Gun Barrel City Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest, Coleman fled the scene of the Jan. 17 incident.

Approximately a week later he turned himself in to police, Investigator Monte Mansfield of the GBC police department, said. Colemen bonded out of jail, he added and until today they had no further dealings with him.

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