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Gunman at Large

Craig Civale reports

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Police are investigating whether a man who shot himself during a Garland standoff early this morning could be connected to a series of four rush hour shootings targeting motorists that left two men dead last night.

That man, Brian Smith, is a former Utah state trooper suspected in a robbery and burglary in Keller.

“All the bullets that were fired from Dallas, ours, along with Brian Smith’s in his car, we’re having all those compared to see if there’s a possibility he could have been the shooter,” said Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn.

Mr. Harn said they also suspect Mr. Smith in a Monday evening robbery at a Kroger pharmacy at Walnut Street and Garland Avenue.

Police were called to the store about 5:30 p.m. after a man who identified himself as Brian Smith jumped the counter and demanded money, Offficer Harn said.

The first in the series of roadway shootings was reported at 5:41 p.m. a few miles away at Jupiter Road and Marquis Drive. However, the black sport utility vehicle Mr. Smith was driving does not match light-colored extended-cab Ford F150 pickup witnesses reported having seen at the Garland police shooting.

Mr. Smith remains on life support at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Officer Harn said.

Dallas are asking any motorists who may have seen anything to come forward.

Police said they do not yet know if the incidents are connected, but Lt. Craig Miller of the Dallas Police Department said he believes the danger on the roadways is past.

“I actually think this is a random act,” Lt. Miller said at a news conference before noon. “Someone was upset… I don’t see this as a long-term problem.”

The first fatal shooting was reported about 5:40 p.m. in Garland just north of LBJ Freeway. Jorge Lopez of Rowlett was driving a small two-door Nissan on Jupiter Road when he stopped at a red light at Marquis Drive, Garland police said. A Ford pickup pulled up alongside his car and a man fired several shots at Mr. Lopez, killing the 20-year-old man, said Garland police Officer Joe Harn.

Police said the pickup fled south on Jupiter Road. Minutes later, it was reported that a man began shooting at a semi with no trailer on LBJ between Royal Lane and Skillman Street. No one was injured.

Police said a driver then shot at a 42-year-old man driving a United Van Lines 18-wheeler. The trucker, William Scott Miller, 42, of Frankfort, Ky., was killed. His rig came to a stop in the middle lane of westbound LBJ just east of the Miller Road exit. Mr. Miller was about to park his rig.

Mr. Miller was planning to fly home to be with his wife and children, Dallas police said.

Lt. Miller called the truck driver’s actions “heroic.” No other people were injured as Mr. Miller maneuvered his truck out of harm’s way. “Even though he was mortally wounded, he was able to control his rig,” Lt. Miller said.

Farther west on LBJ near Skillman Street, another truck was struck by bullets — the fourth incident. That driver was struck by flying glass, said Jesse Medford, terminal manager with Dugan Truck Line. The driver was taken to an area hospital.

Mr. Medford said the driver, his employee, radioed him saying, “I’m getting shot at! I think I’m shot!” The trucker said he didn’t know why he was being fired upon, Mr. Medford said.

Mr. Medford told his driver to pull over, then Mr. Medford called 911.

Mr. Medford did not identify his driver other than to say he’s a longtime trucker in his 40s. He said the driver told him that he did not know who was shooting and did not give a detailed description of the assailant.

“He didn’t say anything about any type of road rage,” Mr. Medford said.

Later, as police were searching for the shooter, Garland officers pulled over Mr. Smith on State Highway 66 at Commerce Street in Garland when they found warrants out for his arrest on robbery and burglary charges in Keller.

Bulletins issued by Keller police had said Mr. Smith was believed to be driving a dark-colored Honda and described him as armed and possibly suicidal.

Mr. Smith did not respond to the officer’s commands, and the SWAT team was called in, Garland police said.

Shortly after midnight, Mr. Smith put his vehicle in gear and started to drive. Police blocked his car with their vehicles. When the SWAT team approached Mr. Smith’s vehicle, officers heard a gunshot from inside the Honda.

Mr. Smith was injured with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Garland police said. He was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital.

At a midday news conference Tuesday, Dallas police Lt. Craig Miller said investigators have no witnesses that can link the crimes.

"The proximity leads us to believe that they could be related to one another," Lt. Miller said, "however the fact is that we have no witnesses who saw anything on the road that resembled a tan vehicle or any vehicle information."

Dallas police made a public appeal for help.

"It's really important right now that people that were out in that part of town between 5:45 and 6:05 yesterday evening try to get with us in the homicide unit and supply us any information that you might have regarding this," Lt. Miller said. "That's the type of information that's going to help us."

Schepps Dairy has posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the killer.

WFAA-TV reporters David Schechter, Chris Hawes and Steve Stoler, the Associated Press and The Dallas Morning News contributed to this story