Man Charged in Good Samaritan Shooting at Kansas Store

Man Charged in Good Samaritan Shooting at Kansas Store
What are Target and Walmart hours on New Year's Eve 2016 and New Year's Day 2017. Are they open or closed? (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Associated Press
9/14/2016
Updated:
9/14/2016

SHAWNEE, Kan.—Authorities have arrested and charged a Kansas man in an attempted robbery and shooting at a suburban Kansas City store.

The Johnson County District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday that 27-year-old Arthur Fred Wyatt III, of Overland Park, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted aggravated kidnapping and attempted aggravated robbery.

Police said a Kansas City, Kansas, woman was hit from behind by two suspects while putting her child in a car Sunday at a Wal-Mart in Shawnee. A Kansas City, Missouri, man who tried to help was shot several times.

Another good Samaritan from De Soto, Kansas, was released after fatally shooting 28-year-old John Simmons III, of Kansas City, Missouri.

Spokeswoman Kristi Bergeron declined to release more information about Wyatt’s arrest.

The wounded good Samaritan is still hospitalized, FOX31 reported. “My son is just a wonderful guy. He'd help anybody because that’s just his nature,” his mother said.

An eyewitness who saw the incident unfold told KCTV that two men were fighting one another before shots were fired. “There was two men on the ground fighting. I started honking my horn trying to get him to stop fighting,” the person said.

“It was so chaotic and upsetting,” the man added. “I couldn’t wait for it to be over. It’s pretty upsetting to see a man shot in front of you and die there.”

Epoch Times contributed to this report.