County official came face-to-face with Tenn. mall-shooting suspect

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Knox County Commissioner Greg "Lumpy" Lambert, who makes it a point to always be armed, came face-to-face with the man accused of gunning down a store worker at Knoxville Center Mall just before police arrived.

But Lambert, who two years ago used his own gun to thwart a robbery at his car dealership, this time decided not to wield his weapon.

"I did speak with the suspect," Lambert said. The mall-shooting suspect "was still in the store. He didn't say anything about the shooting, but I observed he was armed.

"It appeared to be a medium-sized handgun, probably a 9 mm or a .40-caliber. He didn't point it at me, so I didn't draw down on him."

Knoxville police say suspect William Johnson, 42, shot worker Ahmed Nahl, 29, repeatedly during an argument inside the Reno Mens Wear store on the mall's first floor Wednesday around 4:20 p.m. Police said Johnson opened fire on arriving officers, who brought him down with shots to a leg and an arm.

Nahl died at the scene. Johnson, charged with felony murder, was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with wounds police said didn't appear to be life-threatening.

Lambert said he had gone to the mall to see the dentist when he heard the commotion and shouts that someone had been shot.

"I went running to see what I could do," he said. "I saw the mall security guards were unarmed."

Lambert said he followed the guards to the store and got there about a minute before Knoxville Police Department officers arrived.

"I could see part of the guy's body," Lambert said. "He was near the front of the store. I saw the (other) guy was armed with a handgun. I asked him to put it down."

The commissioner won't say exactly what Johnson said.

"He didn't comply," Lambert said. "He was very agitated, and I backed out. I'm not a policeman, and I'm not a psychiatrist. I decided the best thing was to watch and report to law enforcement."

Lambert said he tried to dial 911 from his cell phone, couldn't get through, and ended up calling Knoxville County Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones. Lambert said he heard but didn't see the gun battle with police.

"I didn't see who shot first," he said. "The officers acted very professionally and quickly. I believe they did what they had to do."

Knoxville police Sgts. Darrell Griffin and Officer Tyler Wylie remain on paid leave during a routine review of the shooting. Griffin's been with the department for 10 years, and Wylie's been an officer for three years.

Police haven't said so far what they believe led to the shooting.

Lambert said he saw no sign that Johnson planned to go on a rampage.

"It looked like an isolated incident to me," the commissioner said. "Whatever the situation was, I think it was just one guy."

The mall closed after the shootings but reopened Thursday with normal business hours.

Wednesday's shooting marked the most recent in a spate of public shootings and the third at the mall in about a year.