DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - The day of the shooting at the Walmart Distribution Center last week, Lt. Darryl Hayes was celebrating his fourteenth year with the Dinwiddie County Sheriff's Office.
By the end of that day, he was thankful he and his fellow deputies survived the shooting unharmed after14 years of never coming under fire.
It was shortly after noon, when the first call to Dinwiddie County's 911 Emergency Operations Center was made.
"We have a gentleman here with a gun, he's an associate, he's an associate that works here," said the caller.
As the dispatcher tries to get more information from the caller, who was hiding in an office but could see the shooter, she relayed to deputies en route that one person had already been shot.
"We need an ambulance too please."
"Has anybody been shot?," asked dispatch.
"I believe so, yes," said the caller to 911.
Lt. Hayes said his first thought took him back to his training about how to handle an active shooter and he relied on that training throughout the day.
As he and Lt. Gunn arrived in the parking lot, Lt Hayes said he could see the suspect, standing in front of the double doors.
"Once I got there and advised him to drop his weapon, put his hands up, he stepped back inside the double doors," said Hayes.
But seconds later he walked back out, aimed at Lt. Gunn and Lt Hayes and fired two shots. Then he points the gun at his chest, firing a fatal shot.
Lt. Hayes said he is still recovering from what happened, relying on faith to get him through the traumatic experience.
