MUNCIE, Ind. — The Delaware County Prosecutor formally charged a man for a deadly Saturday evening shooting in the parking lot of a Muncie Walmart.
Tyler Abrams, 32, of Muncie, was arrested Saturday night, less than 30 minutes after police say he shot and killed Sam Gillum in the parking lot of a north side Walmart located at 4801 W. Clara Lane.
Friday, Prosecutor Eric Hoffman formally charged Abrams with murder, criminal recklessness, obstruction of justice and pointing a firearm.
Police were called to the shooting at around 8:45 p.m. They arrived to find a man, identified as Gillum, who had been shot in the head and was lying on the ground in the parking lot. He was taken to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, where medics pronounced him dead.
Witnesses told investigators they saw a man in dark shorts and a red shirt shoot Gillum and then run west before leaving the Walmart's parking lot and going onto Morrison Road.
Surveillance video captured the shooting and, documents explain, it corroborates what the witnesses told police.
In the video, Gillum and his wife could be seen leaving the store and pushing a shopping cart toward their car.
Meanwhile, a man wearing a face mask, dark shorts and a red shirt, identified as Abrams, could be seen walking toward Gillum's car.
When he made it to Gillum's car, he raises a hand "as if he's pointing something at the victim," documents say, adding that it appears Abrams is holding something in his hand at this point.
Police say, Abrams then turns and runs to the southwest side of the parking lot.
When police identified Abrams as the suspected shooter, they began searching for him. A witness, who was fishing in a pond west of the Walmart at around the same time the shooting happened, saw a man wearing dark shorts, no shirt and carrying a gray, plastic bag similar to a Walmart shopping bag. He was also carrying a red shirt, the witness said.
The witness told police the man, believed to be Abrams, was walking west and appeared to have come from Walmart. He also was walking quickly and was out of breath.
A little after 9 p.m., police found Abrams hiding near a home in a wooded area in the 2000 block of North Nebo Road, about one mile from the Walmart where the shooting happened.
When officers got close to him, documents say, he immediately put his hands in the air and said, "I give up, I'm turning myself in."
Abrams was arrested on initial charges of murder, criminal recklessness, obstruction of justice and pointing a firearm.
Documents say he was wearing blue shorts and didn't have a shirt on. However, he had a red shirt, like the one seen in the surveillance video, on the ground next to him.
Abrams didn't have a gun with him when he was arrested. Documents said, "It appears Abrams discarded the firearm within 26 minutes of shooting Gillum and fleeing the scene."
Muncie Police told 13News there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Anyone with information about the shooting is being asked to contact the Muncie Police Department Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or Muncie Police Dispatch at 765-747-4838.
Prosecutor's statement on recent violence
This weekend's violence just adds to a number of murders and violent crimes that have happened recently in Delaware County, including a woman being stabbed to death, a family being robbed and murdered and a veteran being killed.
Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman released a statement on the recent incidents that said, "Delaware County has seen multiple violent crimes in the past few weeks. My heart breaks for the victims. Rest assured that all those who are found guilty will be held to account for their actions.”