Livestream of the Georgetown Kroger shooting committed by Richard Klaff

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/suspect-identified-after-shots-fired-at-georgetown-kroger/ar-BB1mWH76

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — A man is in custody after the Fort Wayne Police Department responded to calls of shots fired inside the Georgetown Kroger Thursday evening.

Officers responded to multiple calls regarding a man shooting inside the Georgetown Kroger, located at 6310 E State Blvd, just before 6:15 p.m., according to a release from FWPD. When officers arrived they learned the suspect had fled the scene.

Officers then searched the Kroger for victims or additional shooters. No victims were found but officers were able to locate several casings in the store.

While at the scene, officers got word of a man near the store matching the description of the alleged shooter. He was then taken into custody.

Early Friday morning, FWPD identified the suspect as 20-year-old Richard Klaff, Jr. He's preliminarily charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. Klaff was booked into the Allen County Jail.

It is not believed that any other shooters were involved. There is no active threat to the community, according to the press release from FWPD.

A Facebook live video went viral following the shooting. In the video, later removed by Facebook, a man is seen in the bathroom threatening to shoot 11 people. He then walks around Kroger while on live, stating, “If I'm going to go out, I'm going out with a bang.” The suspect then appears to unload six shots before the video cuts off.

WANE 15 asked an officer on the scene if the person in the Facebook Live was the same person arrested. Officers at the scene confirmed it was, but a public information officer with FWPD declined to make the same statement.

Not far from the Kroger, Indiana State Representative Bob Morris was coaching baseball at Georgetown Little League when the safety protocol was initiated.

“I got a call from someone with the Fort Wayne Police Department that there was an active shooter at Georgetown Square, he was in the Kroger store,” said Morris.

Morris said his main goal was to keep the kids safe.

“We secured the kids, got the kids in the dugout for an active shooter situation,” Morris said. When he received another call that the suspect was heading northbound, the direction of the fields, he canceled the games and had everyone leave.

Morris confirmed with WANE 15 that the suspect was in a store north of Kroger when police apprehended him and his weapon.

“Safe neighborhood, a safe shopping center, and it hits close to home that things can happen like this,” Morris said.

A spokesperson with Kroger shared a brief statement about the incident:

We are deeply saddened by the incident at our E. State Boulevard store in Fort Wayne. We are cooperating with the investigation by local law enforcement, and we have initiated counseling services for our associates. Plans to reopen the store will be announced later.

For now, to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are referring questions to the Fort Wayne Police Department.”

Eric Halvorson, Kroger Spokesperson

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 700 President Tracy Bartak issued the following statement late Thursday night:

“Our hearts go out to all of our Kroger family who were affected by tonight's shooting. Store 425 will be closed the rest of tonight and tomorrow. Beginning Friday, mental health counselors will be available free of charge for anyone in need both in person at the store as well as via phone or FaceTime.”

Bartak went on to say that employees should contact their local union representative for information on how to schedule virtual counseling sessions.

This incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Prosecutor's Office.