By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent
Two people and a dog are dead from gunshot wounds after an apparent car repossession reached the point of no return at Gallup’s Walmart. That’s the story line stemming from an April 25 incident that left a white male and female and a dog dead, police and witness reports suggest.
According to a police report, Gary Crakow, 70, and Virgina Leichliter, 70, of Mesa, Ariz., were pronounced deceased by Gallup emergency responders in Row 10 of the parking lot at Walmart at 1650 W. Maloney Ave.
The police report, released April 27, states that Jeremy Greeson of Reservation Recovery towing service, told Gallup police that he was about to tow a black Hyundai Santa Fe when the shooting occurred. When the shootings happened, the Santa Fe was hitched to the towing vehicle, the police report states.
The motive behind the shooting is not known. The Hyundai Santa Fe was towed to the Gallup Police Department.
Capt. Marinda Spencer of the Gallup Police Department said a call regarding a fatal shooting at the West Maloney Boulevard store came in to Metro Dispatch at about 12:30 pm. When officers arrived it was determined that the incident involved a male and a female and an animal, Spencer said. The Gallup Fire Department determined that both individuals and the dog were dead.
“Yes, I can confirm that there was a fatal shooting,” Spencer said. “The incident is still under investigation.”
A witness at the scene who asked not to be identified said the female was in Walmart shopping and came out of the store to see the repo man hooking up towing cables. The couple was apparently experiencing some hard economic times and may have been living out of the vehicle.
Upon seeing the repossession in place, the female grabbed a handgun out of the car and proceeded to shoot the male passenger who was sitting in the passenger side back seat of the vehicle, and the dog, before turning the gun on herself.
Officer Joe Roanhorse arrived on scene at about 12:44 pm, and saw the woman laying to the left and bleeding from the head. She still had the gun in her hand with her finger near the trigger.
Meanwhile, the store has continued with normal business, Spencer said. Spencer also said there is not a gunman on the loose in Gallup, saying the public should have no worries about a lone renegade trigger man.
Spencer did not identify the exact type of weapon used in the incident.