June 11 (UPI) — Authorities in South Florida on Friday identified the gunman who opened fire at a grocery store this week killing a woman and her toddler grandchild.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said Timothy Wall, 55, killed the child and woman at a Publix supermarket Thursday before fatally shooting himself.
In a timeline of events provided by sheriff’s Maj. Talal Massari, after shooting the toddler, “the grandmother interferes with the gunman and because of her brave actions, his gun jams. After some struggling, he then ends up shooting the grandmother and then himself.”
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said before the shooting, Wall posted on Facebook that he wanted to shoot people and children. He blamed the slayings on mental illness.
“This tragedy fits the profile around the U.S.,” Bradshaw said. “This could have been prevented.”
The PBSO said Wall’s wife said he had been acting “strangely and paranoid.”
The Palm Beach Post reported Wall worked as a carpenter for a temp agency, and had been evicted from his ex-wife’s home and had filed for bankruptcy.
Maia Knight, the sister of Wall’s ex-wife, Monica Sandra Wall told the Post he had schizophrenia.
“He had mental issues. He wasn’t taking care of himself,” Knight said. “My sister was going to the courthouse, going to police, telling everyone he needs help. My sister was trying to help him but didn’t know how.”
