Would-be robber dies in Walker County bingo hall shootoutA Walker County man who shot up a bingo hall Saturday night while robbing the place was shot and killed by a security guard, according to the Walker County sheriff.
William G. Cantrell Jr., 43, was declared dead at the scene after he was shot multiple times by a security guard at It's Your Lucky Day Charity Bingo hall at 20 Pineywoods-Sipsey Road, Walker County Sheriff John Mark Tirey said.
According to Tirey, Cantrell entered through the front door around 11 p.m., fired his shotgun into the ceiling and hollered: "This is a robbery. Everybody get out of here." As he headed toward the cashiers' cages, Cantrell fired more shots at the ceiling, then fired at a cashier's cage and a safe, Tirey said. As two security guards approached, Cantrell turned his gun toward them and one of the guards shot him multiple times, the sheriff said.
Security cameras captured much of the scene, Tirey said. Authorities also interviewed about 40 to 45 witnesses, he said.
"It is a regretable situation," Tirey said. "We're very fortunate we didn't have a lot of injuries. The potential was there."
Tirey said Cantrell drove a vehicle to the bingo hall that he took at gunpoint around 8:40 p.m. Saturday night from a Jasper business.
