Oklahoma Shooter Killed by Hero Citizen Was Licensed to Carry Gun

A policeman and dog search on the east side of Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City on Thursday. Police say a man armed with a pistol walked into an Oklahoma City restaurant and opened fire, wounding two people, before being shot dead by an armed civilian in the parking lot. (Sarah Phipps/AP)

Friday, 25 May 2018 04:27 PM EDT ET

The man suspected of shooting three people inside an Oklahoma City restaurant before being fatally shot was licensed as an armed security guard.

Gerald Konkler with the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training says 28-year-old Alexander Tilghman held an active license as an armed guard.

Konkler declined further comment, citing state privacy laws.

Oklahoma City police say Tilghman opened fire inside a local restaurant late Thursday, shooting and wounding a woman and two girls. He was later shot dead by two bystanders outside.

Police on Friday said the shooting appeared to be random but noted that Tilghman drove to the restaurant and wore protective gear for his ears and eyes. A police spokesman says it "looked like his mind was made up that he was going to discharge his firearm once he got there."

Oklahoma City Police Capt. Bo Mathews said during a news conference Friday that Tilghman's only interaction with local police was in 2003, during a domestic assault and battery when Tilghman was 13.

The National Rifle Association says it hopes a restaurant shooting in Oklahoma City in which the alleged shooter was shot dead by two armed citizens serves as a "wake-up call" for the state's Republican governor.

The NRA said in a tweet Friday that the shootings Thursday evening were an example of "how the best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

The NRA has been critical of Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin for vetoing a so-called constitutional carry bill that would have allowed adults to carry firearms without a license or training.

The Hal Smith Restaurant Group owns the restaurant. The company said in a statement that the restaurant will be closed Friday and counselors will be available to employees and customers as needed.

The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Louie's On The Lake, a restaurant on Lake Hefner.

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The man suspected of shooting three people inside an Oklahoma City restaurant before being fatally shot was licensed as an armed security guard.
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2018-27-25
Friday, 25 May 2018 04:27 PM
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