The gunman who killed two people at a northern Indiana grocery store before he was shot and killed by police previously lived in Illinois, according to authorities.
Juan Sanchez, 54, opened fire inside a Martin's Super Markets location on Monday evening in Elkhart, killing a 19-year-old cashier, Annasue Rocha, and a second person, 49-year-old Benjamin Jeffrey. Sanchez moved to the Elkhart area in April 2024 and previously lived in Plano, Illinois, Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker said.
Becker revealed new details about what occurred in the minutes prior to the deadly shooting at a news conference on Friday. Sanchez was apparently targeting young women and was clearly “looking for a victim," WNDU, the NBC affiliate in South Bend, reported.
Sanchez loaded his cart with alcoholic beverages and went to the self-checkout area, where Rocha was working at the time. Because he was purchasing alcohol, Rocha went to check his ID, collected it and brought the ID back to her cash register. She then returned the ID, at which point Sanchez displayed a handgun and grabbed her wrist.
A customer who saw what was happening informed a manager who confronted Sanchez, according to the prosecutor. As the manager tried to deescalate the situation, Sanchez said "she needs to listen to me or I will kill her."
Sanchez then raised the gun and opened fire, shooting Rocha, prosecutors said.
After Rocha was shot, the manager called out for everyone to run and ushered others to safety. Sanchez then fired in the direction of the exit and toward people running the back of the store. One of those individuals, Jeffrey, was shot, authorities said.
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After shooting Jeffrey, Sanchez pushed his cart toward the exit and shot Rocha additional times, according to prosecutors. Sanchez was fatally shot by police after exiting the grocery store.
Other incidents of suspicious behavior involving Sanchez and young women have been reported to authorities since Monday, prosecutors said.
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In each case, the person in question avoided further contact with Sanchez, Becker said.
One woman reported she obtained a protective order in Illinois against Sanchez - almost three years ago. Although a police report was filed, no further documentation has been found demonstrating additional formal action on that report, Becker stated.
No complaints had been made to law enforcement in Elkhart County since his move to the area in 2024, authorities said.
