On Wednesday, a gunman shot and killed two sheriff’s deputies—one inside a Panera restaurant in Abingdon, and the other in a shootout shortly thereafter. According to the Associated Press, the suspect, David Brian Evans, had a warrant out for his arrest in Florida, where he allegedly assaulted a police officer.

Evans, 67, was killed in the shootout. No bystanders were hurt, officials said.

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said that he believed the deputy killed in the initial shooting was targeted for wearing a uniform. Police, however, have not yet released a motive. From the AP:

Sophia Faulkner, 15, said she and her mother were getting lunch and almost sat right next to the gunman. Instead, they chose a booth about 10 feet away because the man appeared “sketchy” and disheveled. He was sitting in the back and hadn’t ordered any food, Faulker and her mother said.

A sheriff’s deputy was called to the restaurant to check on a report about someone causing a problem. The deputy tried to talk to the man, who was apparently known to local deputies and workers at the restaurant. The deputy sat down beside him, asked how he was doing and the man shot him in the head.

“I saw him fall back out of his chair and the blood started coming out,” Faulkner said. “I didn’t know how to process it. My mom said, ‘What’s going on?’ and I said, ‘Get down, someone just got shot.’”

Panera’s corporate office, in a statement, said, “The Panera Family is heartbroken over today’s incident at our Abingdon bakery-cafe. Our thoughts and actions now are directed towards the victims and their families. This location will remain closed as we work with law enforcement to investigate.”

The names of the deputies killed have not yet been released, the Baltimore Sun reports, but both were long-term veterans—one was with the Sheriff’s Office for 30 years, and the other for 16 years.


Photo via AP Images. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.