A dramatic and chaotic scene unfolded in Killeen, Texas, on Saturday when a motorist crashed a pickup truck into a crowded JCPenney store, injuring five people before being fatally shot by law enforcement. The incident left shoppers stunned and authorities scrambling to understand what happened.
It all started with reports of an erratic driver in a black pickup truck near Belton, a town about 20 miles from Killeen. Around 5 p.m., the driver, later identified as 53-year-old John Darrel Schultz from Kempner, was spotted behaving recklessly on Interstate 14. When officers tried to stop him, Schultz sped off, leading them on a high-stakes chase.
The chaos reached its peak when Schultz veered off the highway and into the Killeen Mall’s parking lot. Moments later, he crashed through the glass doors of a JCPenney store filled with holiday shoppers just days before Christmas. But he didn’t stop there—he kept driving through the store, hitting several people along the way.
According to Sgt. Bryan Washko from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the victims ranged in age from just six years old to 75. Four of them were rushed to nearby hospitals, while a fifth person managed to get there on their own. Their conditions haven’t been released yet.
“The scene was terrifying,” Washko said. “The suspect drove through the doors and kept going, running people over as he went several hundred yards through the store.”
Law enforcement officers from Killeen, the Department of Public Safety, and three other agencies were quickly on the scene. Some were off-duty, while one officer working as a mall security guard joined the pursuit. When Schultz finally stopped, gunfire erupted between him and the officers, ending with Schultz being fatally shot.
Witnesses outside the mall described hearing multiple gunshots and seeing panicked shoppers running for safety. One bystander shared with local media how people were fleeing in every direction, clearly shaken by the events.
Authorities are now piecing together what led to this tragic series of events. The mall, typically a bustling hub for holiday shopping, became a scene of horror in just moments. Investigators are working to uncover why Schultz behaved so recklessly, turning an ordinary Saturday afternoon into a nightmare for everyone involved.
