Gun Barrel City police arrest armed man wearing ballistic vest at Walmart

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John Thomas Martin, 22, of Kerrville Texas (Source: Henderson County Jail)

GUN BARREL CITY, Texas - The Gun Barrel City Police arrested an armed 22-year-old man at Walmart on Saturday evening. The man is accused of threatening to "shoot up the store," police said. 

Gun Barrel City is in Henderson County, southeast of Dallas.

Armed man arrested

Police were called to the Walmart on Main Street in Gun Barrel City around 6:30 p.m.

When the police arrived, they found John Thomas Martin, of Kerrville, inside the store.

Investigators found Martin was carrying a Glock 10MM semi-automatic black handgun, three magazines, one extended magazine, shooting ear plugs and wearing a ballistic vest under his hoodie. He was carrying a total of 63 rounds of 10mm.

Martin was arrested and charged with terroristic threat and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Jail records show he was arrested in 2022 and charged with terroristic threat and was released to another agency, possibly in Kerr County.

A bond has not yet been set, according to jail records.

What they're saying:

The Gun Barrel City Police Department would like to thank the citizens that came forward to report this suspicious behavior to Walmart staff. These actions and the officers' response truly prevented a very dangerous outcome. 

What you can do:

The Gun Barrel City Police Department is currently looking for these individuals that notified store employees along with anyone that may have been witnesses to this offense to contact the Gun Barrel City Police Department at 903-887-7151 or email Investigator Ruiz at Aruiz@gunbarrelcity.gov.