Police in Washington state search for a man suspected of fatally shooting 3 people

Three people were shot to death minutes apart in a Yakima, Wash., convenience store early Tuesday morning, and the suspected killer remains at large, police said.

Yakima Police Chief Matt Murray identified the suspect as 21-year-old Jarid Haddock and released this photo from a surveillance video to the public. In a statement on Twitter, Murray urged the public to call 911 if they spotted Haddock and warned people not to approach him.

During an early morning news conference, Murray described the incident as two separate shootings — one at a Circle K convenience store and the other across the street — carried out by the same shooter and taking place just minutes apart.

"The first shooting was inside the [Circle K] store. Then he came outside and shot a victim outside the store. And then he went across the street and apparently shot one more person," Murray said.

"It appears to be a random situation," the chief said. "There was no apparent conflict between the parties. The male just walked in and started shooting."

Initially, police believed there may have been a fourth victim, who they said may have been killed when the shooter walked up to a parked vehicle and shot inside. According to video footage, Murray said, "You can see the party in that vehicle move to the passenger seat and then the suspect stole his car."

Hours later, the police department said new information "indicated there may not have been a fourth shooting victim (at the Arco)."

The suspect fled in the same car — a gray or silver sedan that police believe is a 200 Chrysler. [Copyright 2023 NPR]