Skip to main content

walmart

Investigators stymied by lack of cooperation in shot-fired-at-Walmart case

By Howard B. Owens

While the case will remain open, State Police investigators have been unable to obtain sufficient evidence so far to make an arrest in the case of a shot fired in the Walmart parking lot Jan. 21.

Investigator Kenneth Dubrinski said that even though there is a video of the incident, the one person possibly involved whom investigators could identify is uncooperative.

The video is not of good enough quality to release pictures in the hopes of identifying other individuals, Dubrinski said.

"You can barely make out the make and model of the car," he said.

Last week, police learned that a car that was parked in the area at the time was struck by a bullet.

The bullet could not be recovered.

Dubrinski said even though there isn't much new to report on the case, the case will remain open for some time in case somebody comes forward with new information.

"This is a little more serious than a run-of-the-mill case and we don't want to close it until we know we have everything covered," Dubrinski said.

As for the possibility of one or more people involved having ties to a criminal gang, Dubrinski said, "that would be speculation."

Bullet hole found in car parked at Walmart the night a shot was reportedly fired there

By Howard B. Owens

Bullet holes from a single shot were found in the engine compartment today of a car that was parked at Walmart the night of Jan. 22.

State Police investigators have been looking into the incident ever since the report was filed on it that evening.

Today, Investigator Andre Dunlap received a call after a local mechanic spotted a hole in the transmission of a car.

That was an unexpected twist in the case that so far has not led to an arrest.

Multiple law enforcement sources have said there may gang affiliations involved with the shooter and possible target and the shooting may be related to a prior incident months ago in the City of Batavia.

Dunlap said the owner of the car noticed the vehicle was not running right and that when the weather turned cold, the car wouldn't heat up.

The driver took the vehicle to a mechanic who had worked on the car previously and he put antifreeze in the radiator. The radiator immediately began to leak, so he replaced it.

When the owner got the car back, after a few days, it still didn't seem to run right and then it stopped working altogether.

This morning, the mechanic put the car on a lift and that's when he noticed the bullet hole in the transmission. Fortunately, he still had the old radiator and upon closer inspection, he found a bullet hole in the radiator, too.

There was also a hole in the compressor for the air conditioner.

But a thorough search of the engine compartment failed to turn up the actual bullet, and Dunlap suspects it fell to the ground at Walmart after hitting the transmission.

The investigation into the shot fired at Walmart is ongoing and no further information is available at this time.

Report of a shot fired in Walmart parking lot

By Howard B. Owens

Deputies are looking for two vehicles -- one dark in color and the other silver -- that may have been involved in a shot-fired incident in the Walmart parking lot.

The "victim" is reportedly in the silver vehicle.

A white male, believed to have a gun, in a dark hooded sweat shirt left in a dark vehicle, according to a witness.

UPDATE 9:21 p.m.: The possible victim is believed to be black, and he reportedly left the scene in a silver vehicle driven by a black male.

UPDATE 9:55 p.m.: State Police are handling investigation. No confirmation that there was actually a shot fired.

UPDATE 11:10 p.m.: Troopers have cleared the scene. A trooper has driven over to Batavia PD headquarters to "share information."  That's all we have on this incident at this time, unless law enforcement releases more information.

UPDATE Tuesday, 4 p.m.: State Police still have no further information to release on this incident. They're not confirming at this point that there was a shot fired, and are not saying there wasn't a shot fired.  There may be more information available in the morning. The case is under investigation.

Unknown odor reported at loading dock of Walmart

By Howard B. Owens

An unknown odor has been reported in the area of the loading dock of Walmart, 4133 Veterans Memorial Drive, Batavia.

The odor has apparently caused some nausea.

Town of Batavia Fire has been dispatched.

Personnel at Walmart declined an ambulance response, but a Town of Batavia chief requested Mercy EMS respond non-emergency.


View Larger Map

Black Friday shoppers shooed out of Walmart for apparent small fire

By Howard B. Owens

Black Friday shopping at Walmart was disrupted this morning by a small fire in the back of the store, according to County Legislator Jay Grasso, who was there shopping.

The entire store was evacuated, he said, with people leaving behind shopping carts of merchandise.

"It was orderly, but people were not happy," he said.

We have no further information available at this time.

Authentically Local