5 Dead In Las Vegas Couple’s Last Tantrum

UPDATE, noon June 9: The two slain officers and two dead suspects, a married couple with far-right leanings, have been identified.

Original content: Two police officers eating pizza were shot dead, then a Walmart customer, and then two mysterious suspects, a man and a woman, killed themselves after their slapdash shooting spree in downtown Las Vegas.

How it started: A suspect shouted, “This is a revolution!” in the Cici’s Pizza at 11:30 am Sunday before gunning down two Las Vegas Police officers who were eating lunch, Las Vegas Police spokesman Larry Hadfield told The Associated Press. Both are in critical condition as of early Sunday night.

How it ended, according to Clark County Assistant Sheriff Kevin McMahill: The suspects ran to the Walmart just across the street and the male suspect reportedly announced, “Everyone get out!” Then shots rang out there, too. A person was shot dead by the entrance before the suspects reached the back of the store. That’s where they killed themselves. According to Los Angeles Police spokeswoman Laura Meltzer, they “engaged in what is being described as a suicide pact.”

The coroner will release the names of the dead suspects and their victims.

“I think in any case where people are ambushed and shot it’s upsetting to the public,” Hadfield said. “We don’t know anything about the suspects yet and are trying to learn more.”

Walmart’s corporate communications department has had a working weekend. This is the second highly viral death Walmart‘s been involved with in recent days. One of its drivers was just charged with negligence after falling asleep and reawakening just in time to slam into the limo being ridden by comedian Tracy Morgan and his late comedian-friend James McNair. Four passengers were wounded in that accident.

About the shooting deaths, Walmart spokesperson Brooke Buchanan said, “We express our deepest condolences to everyone who has been affected by this senseless act of violence.”

And in case readers were worrying that a revolution was, indeed, underway, police spokeswoman Meltzer added that “we do not believe there is any further danger to the public.” Still, police said that they were still involved with identifying the suspects and identifying what motive they thought they might have possibly had for the rampage.

[Image courtesy of WURL]