A Home Depot employee was shot and killed Tuesday while trying to stop a theft in progress inside a store in Pleasanton, a company official confirmed Wednesday morning.
The shooting was reported at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday at the business at 6000 Johnson Drive. Police said the suspects who fled the scene were eventually detained in Oakland with the help of the Oakland Police Department and Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
Police identified the suspects as Oakland residents Benicia Knapps, 32, and David Guillory, 31, police said. Guillory was booked into Santa Rita jail, and Knapps was at a hospital getting treatment for injuries related to the crime. Police identified Knapps as the shooter.
The victim was identified by police as Blake Mohs, 26, a loss prevention worker. The company released the following statement through a spokesperson Wednesday morning: "We're heartbroken over this senseless tragedy. Blake was our associate and friend, and our hearts go out to his family and everyone who knew and loved him."
When police tracked down the suspects, they found a 2-year-old child in the getaway vehicle they later identified as Knapps's child. The child was reunited with other family members, police said.
The suspects face charges of murder, robbery, child endangerment and conspiracy, and police said additional charges may come as the investigation continues.
Mohs's parents said he was set to get married this summer. They said he was involved in youth law enforcement programs, was an Eagle Scout and had an interest in pursuing law enforcement as a career.
“I'm scared right now. I can never imagine that in Pleasanton, this kind of thing can happen,” said resident Subho Mukherjee. “I'm really sorry for the person, but at least he tried to stop it, I’d say that's a positive thing.”
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Several shoppers like Mukherjee pulled up in the hours following the crime, only to find a closed store due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
“It’s shocking, I was just thinking that I would have started like half an hour ago from the office and I would have been inside a half an hour ago,” said Manjeed Singh of Tracy.
Security experts said this tragedy shouldn't have happened considering the newest state regulations for security guards.
“The general rule of thumb whether your an employee, security guard or loss prevention, is observe and report, there's cameras in stores, there are witnesses, it's much better to be a witness and be alive than to be a participant and get injured or killed,” said Michael Leininger, retired police officer and security consultant.
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident should call the Pleasanton Police Department at 925-931-5100.
