Man charged with murder after fatal Muncie shooting at Walmart
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — A man in Muncie was charged Friday with murder, according to the Delaware County prosecutor.
Tyler C. Abrams, 32, was also charged with criminal recklessness, obstruction of justice, and pointing a firearm.
Police received a call just before 8:45 p.m. Saturday about a shooting that happened on the parking lot of Walmart on 4801 W. Clara Lane. When police arrived, they found Sam Gillum lying on the ground in the parking lot with a gunshot wound to the head. Police say Gillum was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Witnesses told police that a man in dark shorts and a red shirt shot Gillum in the parking lot and then ran away on foot, exiting Walmart’s parking lot onto Morrison Road. Investigators could see the shooting through Walmart’s surveillance cameras.
Police say Gillum and his wife were seen pushing a shopping cart to their vehicle in the video. They say the video then showed Abrams wearing dark shorts and a red shirt walking toward Gillum’s vehicle. The video shows Abrams raising his hand as if he was pointing something at Gillum. Police say while Abrams was doing this, the video showed him holding something in his hand. The video then showed Abrams turning to run to the southwest side of the parking lot. They say the video also showed Abrams wearing a “black Covid-style mask.”
After further investigation, police learned more about Abrams’ identify and began searching for him. They later found Abrams hiding near a residence off of Nebo Road about one mile from the Walmart. Abrams was wearing blue shorts and had no shirt on when officers found him, but there was a red shirt on the ground next to him that matched the shirt being worn by the shooter in the surveillance video, police say.
Police say when they approached Abrams, he threw his hands in the air and said, “I give up, I’m turning myself in.”
He was taken into custody just under 30 minutes after shooting Gillum. Police say Gillum had gotten rid of the firearm before he was found by police.
Online court records on Friday show no hearing set for Abrams.
