Gunman who opened fire at Walmart facility was a former employee

A man who opened fire at a Walmart distribution center in Red Bluff Saturday was a former employee, sheriff’s officials said.

Tehama County Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston said the shooter was a 31-year-old male. He allegedly opened fire at the center, killing one and wounding four.

“He entered the building and started firing at random targets,” Johnston said, adding Lane also hit at least one person with his car. There was also a fire at the scene, but authorities were trying to determine what caused it.

He was later killed by authorities in a shootout with police that involved multiple rounds, he said.

The dead victim was identified as Martin Haro-Lozano, 45, of Orland.

There also was a fire at the site, and the suspect appears to have rammed a vehicle into the building, dispatchers said. About 200 workers were inside the facility, some of whom locked themselves in a room, employees at the center told KHSL-TV Channel 12 in Chico.

The suspect had been shot in the chest by about 3:45 p.m., dispatchers told the Record Searchlight.

Scott Thammakhanty, an employee at the facility’s receiving center, said he heard what sounded like semiautomatic weapon fire.

“It went on and on — I don’t even know how many times he fired,” Thammakhanty said. “I just know it was a lot.”

Thammakhanty and others started running for their lives, and he saw people lying on the ground as he went, he said.