Reports now say he died of his wounds and the gunman was also fatally wounded after being shot by police after a shootout with police after a 30-mile chase.
Immediately after the shooting, police sources said they were working to confirm tentative information that the suspect was a former employee of a Gwatney car dealership. The Little Rock police said, however, at an afternoon news conference that the shooter, whom they did not identify, was NOT a Gwatney employee and, so far as they knew, never had been, contrary to some reports mentioned here earlier in the day. Hastings said they hoped to learn from family more about Johnson's background.
According to one source, information gathered about Johnso indicated he'd exhibited erratic behavior at least once in the past. He reportedly made an irate visit to a dentist a year or so ago, but later returned to apologize.
RIP
Previous post in full:
Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman, Bill Gwatney has been shot and is in critical condition.
The gunman has been arrested and in custody after going to the office, asking for Gwatney and shooting him, Reports say three shots were fired.
"He came in and went into this office and started shooting," police Lt. Terry Hastings told reporters near the party headquarters.
Gwatney, a former legislator, was in critical condition, Hastings said.
The suspect was chased into Grant County, south of Little Rock, and apprehended after being shot, the police spokesman said. The suspect's condition was not known.
A witness said Gwatney's secretary ran into the flower shop she works at and asked to call 911. After asking for Gwatney and being told he could not see him, the gunmen barged into his office and shot the party chairman. [End previous post]
More from NYT, AP, Fox News, and CNN.
