Graffiti tied to shooting of Arkansas Democratic Chairman

Gwatney Shooting: Suspect Quits Job At Conway Target Before Shooting
Posted By: Robert Bell Posted By: Ashley Blackstone


Police have identified the suspect in the shooting of Democratic state party chairman Bill Gwatney as Timothy Dale Johnson of Searcy. Today's THV has learned that Johnson had a run-in with his employer at Target.
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Today's THV has learned from an anonymous source that worked with 50-year-old Timothy Dale Johnson at the Conway Target that Johnson's rage started around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Johnson's co-worker says graffiti laced with curse words concerning a hallway were found by management. The graffiti said, "This hall is too *** **** narrow."

Store managers called a meeting. We're told they asked if whoever wrote the graffiti to step forward and admit it and he or she wouldn't be fired. Our source says store management later found the same graffiti signed and dated by Johnson.

Over the next hour or so, Johnson's co-worker says he wrote on a door and another hallway again with objectionable words. "Target is run by dumb jocks and sorority *******."

A third graffiti was found on the human resources door saying, "sorority *******." Our source tells us that management talked with Johnson and then Johnson stormed off and left the building.

Conway police tell Today's THV they were called to Target around 8 a.m. about a disgruntled employee. When police arrived Johnson had already left.

The Conway police incident report says, "Johnson seemed to be extremely irate." The report confirms that Timothy Dale Johnson did write some graffiti on Target's wall. It goes on to say that "Johnson was no longer employed with Target and was not allowed access to the property."

Police tell Today's THV that Target employees were fearful Johnson was going to come back.

Target released the following statement Wednesday night. "In regards to the suspect, we can confirm he was an hourly employee at the Conway, Arkansas Target store since November 2006. He voluntarily quit his job earlier this morning. He had no history of behavioral or performance problems at Target. In the preceding days, he worked his regularly scheduled shifts without incident."

There is still no motive for the shooting.