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Innocent passerby injured in shootout with suspect in Colerain Kroger comments

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An innocent bystander caught in the crossfire during a police shootout at a Colerain Township Kroger has spoken out for the first time about the terrifying ordeal. “We heard (bang bang bang) sounds like fireworks exploding and we looked around and I saw the guy prying the door open with his arm and he had a gun and I said Crystal, get on the ground. That’s all I could think, get on the ground,” said David Applegate Sr. Applegate was in the store with his daughter Crystal Runck. “I had my hands like that (behind her head), but I looked that way and the shooter was 8 to 10 feet to our left,” Runck added. The incident happened last Wednesday. It started as a drug investigation in the parking lot and quickly escalated into a shooting. “He ran past us to an exhibit to my left, turned around and pulled out his gun, and when he did that, it was just a hail of bullets. They just flew,” Applegate recalled. “When the bullets were flying through your head … you could hear woof … woof,” Runck added. The shooting lasted 39 seconds. “Pure panic. I was crying. I was shaking. I was hysterical,” Runck said. “It was scary. It was very scary. But the first thing that went through my mind was her, my girl,” Applegate recounted. When the shooting finally stopped, Applegate, who recently underwent surgery for stage three colon cancer, realized he had been hit. “Oh, I felt it. I said Jesus. And Crystal said are you OK, and I said no, I’m hit,” Applegate said. “I thought he was dead,” Runck admitted. At first, officers thought Applegate had been hit by shrapnel. “But when it hit. It hit here and it radiated… man, that was hot,” Applegate described.Applegate says emergency room doctors later told them he was hit by two bullets, one of which is still lodged in his knee.”I think the worst. I think, oh God, I’ll never be able to walk again. I still feel it,” Applegate said.As she reflected on the incident, Runck expressed anger and confusion.”To do something like that in such a busy place seems absurd to me and makes me angry,” Runck said.”With so many people. It surprised me that only two people were hit,” Applegate added.When asked if he thought police made the right decision in that moment, Applegate replied, “I don’t see where they went wrong, I think they did their job, they did a good job. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”Despite the traumatic experience, Applegate and Runck are grateful to have escaped alive. They have not heard from police or Kroger since the shooting. They are hoping the company will cover Applegate’s medical bills, which have already resulted in two hospitalizations.

An innocent bystander who was caught in the crossfire during a shootout with police at a Kroger store in Colerain Township has spoken out for the first time about the horrific ordeal.

“We heard (bang, bang, bang) sounds like fireworks exploding and we looked back and I saw the guy prying the door open with his arm and he had a gun and I said to Crystal, get on the ground. That’s all I could think, get on the ground,” said David Applegate Sr.

Applegate was in the store with his daughter Crystal Runck.

“I had my hands like this (behind her head), but I was looking that way and the shooter was 8 to 10 feet to our left,” Runck added.

The incident occurred last Wednesday and began as a drug investigation in the parking lot and quickly escalated into a shootout.

“He ran past us to an exhibit to my left, turned around and drew his gun. As he did that, a hail of bullets followed. They just flew,” Applegate recalled.

“When the bullets flew through your head, you could hear a woof… woof,” Runck added.

The shootout lasted 39 seconds.

“Pure panic. I cried. I was shaking. I was hysterical,” said Runck.

“It was scary. It was very scary. But the first thing that went through my mind was her, my girl,” Applegate said.

When the shooting finally stopped, Applegate, who had recently undergone surgery for terminal colon cancer, realized he had been hit.

“Oh, I felt it. I said Jesus. And Crystal asked if I was OK, and I said no, I’m hit,” Applegate said.

“I thought he was dead,” Runck admitted.

At first, officials thought Applegate had been hit by shrapnel.

“But when it hit. It hit here and it glowed… man, it was hot,” Applegate described.

Applegate said emergency room doctors later told them he had been hit by two bullets, one of which was still lodged in his knee.

“I fear the worst. I think, oh God, I’ll never be able to walk again. I still feel it,” Applegate said.

As Runck reflected on the incident, she expressed anger and confusion.

“Doing something like this in such a busy place seems absurd to me and makes me angry,” said Runck.

“Given that it was packed with people like that, I was surprised that only two people were hit,” Applegate added.

When asked if he thought the police made the right decision at that moment, Applegate replied, “I don’t see what they did wrong. I think they did their job, and they did it well. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Despite the traumatic experience, Applegate and Runck are grateful that they got out alive.

They haven’t heard from police or Kroger since the shooting.

They hope the company will cover Applegate’s medical bills, which have already resulted in two hospital stays.

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