When most people go out for lunch or dinner (or breakfast for that matter) they aren’t usually thinking about whether or not they’ll be under attack at some point during their drinks, meal or dessert. Unfortunately, that potential is a reality in the 21st century - as some patrons at the City Grill in Hurtsboro, Alabama found out on Wednesday, March 7th, 2018.
Bright and early that morning, while some patrons were no doubt enjoying their first coffee of the day and maybe some breakfast to help fuel them up to face the morning, Walter Frank Thomas, age 64, allegedly walked into the restaurant and started shooting. It is reported that before opening fire with a weapon only described as “a .22 long rifle” - which is actually a caliber and there are a plethora of rifles and handguns chambered for it - the suspect yelled out the restaurant owner’s name.
Thomas, after yelling out the restaurant owner’s name, opened fire, killing the apparent primary target of his attack, while wounding three others: one critically and two with non-life-threatening injuries. At the time of the attack - about 6:30 that morning - there were reportedly eight to ten patrons enjoying their breakfast in the City Grill.
After committing his attack, with an unknown number of rounds fired, one dead and three wounded, Thomas left the City Grill and went home. The statements from the police say that Thomas “ran home,” indicating that he may not have lived far from the City Grill at all. After receiving suspect information during the on-scene investigation, police responded to Thomas’ residence and set up a perimeter. Thomas was convinced to come out and surrender himself after receiving a call from the police department representative (presumably a hostage negotiator).
Hurtsboro is in Russell County and the Sheriff, Heath Taylor, originally stated that he knew, but would not name, the suspect. His (the Sheriff’s) intent was to avoid giving the suspect any media attention or acknowledgement. Since some active killers/shooters commit their attacks specifically seeking media attention and public fame, the Sheriff’s thought was valid. It was later revealed that the suspect was Walter Thomas and that he was known to the Sheriff’s office. It was further known, or at least believed, that Thomas had some type of mental illness.
Again, to Sheriff Taylor’s credit, he spoke far more about the victim, Donald Hughes, the owner/operator of the City Grill, and the three other victims. Sheriff Taylor spoke highly of the deceased Hughes and how the restauranteur always welcomed and treated law enforcement professionals very well.
Hughes was reportedly 69 years old at the time of his death, and the other three victims in the shooting were all of retirement/retired age as well (74, 74, 70). During his statements after the suspect was in custody, Sheriff Taylor indicated that while many thought Thomas had some mental issues, no one believed he would commit such an act of violence. Several citizens who frequented the City Grill echoed that sentiment and voiced their condolences for the Hughes family. They mourned the loss of Donal Hughes who, they said, had been a long time staple in the community. The City Grill originally opened in 1954 and has been family run since that time.
One of the 74-year-old victims, John Williams, later died of his wounds, leaving the attack tally at two dead and two wounded. In September of 2018, Thomas was indicted and, as of this writing, a trial date had not yet been set. The Russell County District Attorney’s office had requested a mental evaluation of Thomas to ascertain whether or not he was fit to stand trial.
Hurtsboro, AL is not a large town with a reported population of about 500 people. It’s the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone and having that guy who doesn’t seem quite right in his head seems a requirement - like in all small towns. The City Grill was a well known and well liked restaurant and a fixture in the town.
Oddly, in 2010 there was an active shooter attack at a different City Grill - in Buffalo, NY - wherein there were ten victims: five dead and five wounded. That will be a different article.
So, what are the lessons learned from the attack in Hurtsboro? Many people who live in small towns or sparsely populated areas believe that active shooter attacks “can’t happen here.” That phrase has been heard and voiced by so many law enforcement representatives that you’ll often see a reference to “It Can’t Happen Here, USA” in active shooter curriculums as they discuss the ridiculousness of the outlook. It CAN happen there. It HAS happened there. It can happen anywhere there is a violent actor and a pool of potential victims. No matter what size agency you work for, or what size population you serve, active shooter/killer response has to be part of your training, integrated into your policies and protocols, and an event you should be prepared and equipped to respond to - no matter how much we all wish it were different.
