Texas law enforcement officers have shot and killed a man who opened fire on officers outside a Wal-Mart store, police said on Tuesday.
The suspect was identified as Erick Keith Murphy, 27, of Murphy, according to multiple news outlets.
Police began investigating a report of a robbery in progress at the store about 6:15 p.m. local time, NBC News reported.
When officers arrived, they were confronted by the suspect, who immediately opened fire, according to police, who described the suspect as “armed with a handgun.”
Austin Officer Thomas Groves, 35, was shot and killed in the exchange of gunfire with the suspect. He was a 12-year veteran of the force.
The other officer, Andrew Pennington, 32, was shot in the stomach and was being treated at an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. He returned fire on the suspect.
Officers apprehended the suspect several blocks away and recovered a handgun, police said.
“Today we lost one of our brother officers,” Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said in a statement. “But we are fortunate that he did not suffer further.”
The victims’ names have not been released.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the shooting.