Armored car guard shot dead at Lakewood Wal-Mart store

Witnesses told police the Loomis guard had just picked up some money at the Anchor Bank inside the store at 7001 Bridgeport Way West just after 1:30 p.m.

As he was walking out of the store, two men walked up and shot the guard, said Det. Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. A second person inside the store was also wounded in the shoulder by the same bullet, police said. That victim was holding a small child in their other arm, but the child was not hurt.

The guard died at the scene, Troyer said. The wounded person was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital. It's not known what condition he or she is in, but the injuries were not life-threatening.

The gunmen grabbed the bag of money and raced away from the scene in a white car before police arrived.

Store employees described a chaotic scene that began with what sounded like a cannon being shot inside the store.

Cashier Nora Sabin, who witnessed the shooting while standing at her checkout stand, was left flushed and shaken.

"It was just a few feet from me. It was just scary, really scary," she said. "I never seen anybody killed, never. It was just so frightening."

Sabin said she saw the shooter, who was waving his gun about.

"I was so scared he was gonna come in and shoot more people," she said.

Rose Zamora, who works in the Wal-Mart photo department, said fear and confusion swept through the store. "I heard a lot of screaming everyone, ladies throwing their stuff everywhere,"she said. "I kept one little kid safe - I didn't even know where his mom as at - I just threw my smock over him to make sure he was OK. Then I saw his mom and gave him back to his mom."

The victim was identified by Loomis officials as 39-year-old Kurt Husted. He was a 15-year veteran of the company and a graduate of Tacoma's Lincoln High School. He was not married, but had recently gotten engaged, friends said.

Pat Flahurty with the Loomis Corporation said Husted typically wore an armored vest, but police say he was shot in the head.

"It was like, 'Oh, my God, I can't believe it happened to him.' Because he's just one of the nicest guys you would ever hope to know," said a co-worker of Husted.

The man said the slumping economy has made the job even more dangerous.

"It's a trying job and you've got to be vigilant. And I think personally it is the economy, because things are getting harder and criminals out there are getting more and more daring," he said.

Troyer released two photos of the suspected gunman, taken from the store's surveillance cameras.

The first suspect is a black man who is about 6 feet tall and of average build. He was wearing a white hat with colored trim across the bill, a long-sleeved white shirt and black pants.

The second suspect is a black man who is 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was wearing a blue baseball hat, blue short sleeve button up shirt over a white T-shirt and blue jeans.

They were driving a 1993 white Buick Skylark. The car was found ditched in Tacoma at South 66th Street and South Monroe Street just after 3 p.m.

Video shot by Air4 showed crime tape surrounding a yard in a nearby home and officers with police dogs searching the area, but officials haven't given any information from that scene yet.

If you see these two men or know where they might be, call 911 immediately. They are considered armed and dangerous.

Nearby Mount Tahoma High School was locked down for about an hour as a precaution.

In a statement Wal-Mart officials said their thoughts and prayers are with those who were victimized by this tragedy.

"We appreciate the quick response of local authorities, and we are working with them in their investigation. The store is temporarily closed while police investigate," the statement said.