Gunman, 2 Others Dead in Indiana Supermarket Shooting

The shooting happened inside Martin's supermarket in Elkhart, Ind.

ByABC News
January 16, 2014, 1:34 AM

Jan. 16, 2014— -- Three people, including an alleged gunman, are dead after a shooting late Wednesday night at an Indiana grocery store, authorities said today.

The unidentified shooter was allegedly pointing a gun at the head of another person, believed to be a store employee, when police arrived at Martin's Super Market in Elkhart, Ind., State Police Sgt. Trent Smith told ABC News.

Elkhart police shot the man to death before he could harm that worker. Police and the shooter fired several rounds in the store, Smith said at a news conference early this morning.

VIDEO: Indiana Supermarket Shooting Leaves 3 Dead, Including Gunman

"It's a huge crime scene," Smith said. "The areas where the shootings happened in the store are basically from one end of the store to the next. There were several rounds fired in there."

One victim is a female store employee in her late teens or early 20s, while the other victim is a woman believed to be in her 40s, Smith said.

The shooter, in his late teens or early 20s, entered the store with a semi-automatic handgun and a large knife, Smith said. The victims were found about 10 to 12 aisles apart.

Police aren't sure whether the shooting was random or targeted. Police have yet to release the identities of the victims or the shooter, who authorities say lived in the area.

Police are hopeful that surveillance video will help them better understand the shooting.

"We do have a lot of things to look at as far as video surveillance," Smith said, noting that state and city police also are interviewing witnesses.

Martin's supermarket released a statement on Facebook, writing, "Thank you to our community for your thoughts and prayers tonight. We will comment further when we can do so responsibly and appropriately."

Smith said police are in the process of putting together search warrants and will have another news conference later this morning.