Wichita Falls, TX: Texas man kills 1, wounds 4 before killing self

© 2010 The Associated Press
April 21, 2010, 9:22PM
WICHITA FALLS, Texas — A 22-year-old man with a violent history shot up a crowded book store cafe, wounding four women, then walked down the street and killed a bar worker before holing up in a home where he killed himself, authorities said Wednesday.
Ross William Muehlberger's rampage, which ended early Wednesday after he shot himself in the head, may have been motivated by racial hatred, Police Sgt. Joe Snyder said.
"A recurring theme from witness statements was that the suspect was yelling racial epithets," Snyder said.
Witness Harmony Langford told the Wichita Falls Times Record News that the gunman shouted "White power!" before fatally shooting 23-year-old bar doorman Tim Donley.
Witnesses said Muehlberger walked into a book store cafe late Tuesday and started firing a shotgun, wounding four women.
Although both Muehlberger and Donley were white, three of the wounded women are black and the other is Hispanic, Snyder said. None of the women suffered life-threatening injuries, though three remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon.
Court records show Muehlberger was facing aggravated assault charges in the Oct. 19 stabbing of two men at a Lake Wichita park and had been sentenced to probation in 2008 after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery. He also was charged with aggravated assault on Dec. 31 for allegedly hitting and threatening to kill a girlfriend.
After shooting Donley, police chased Muehlberger to a home, then heard a gun shot from inside. A woman ran out, saying her brother had shot himself, and Snyder says officers found Muehlberger wounded in a bathroom.
Muehlberger died early Wednesday at a Wichita Falls hospital.
The Air Force and FBI are assisting in the investigation, as two of the wounded women were temporarily stationed at nearby Sheppard Air Force Base, base spokesman George Woodward said. They were listed in stable condition Wednesday at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, he said.
Another victim was transported to the Dallas hospital, but her condition was not immediately available. The fourth victim was released from a Wichita Falls hospital, Snyder said.