ARLINGTON -- An armed Good Samaritan was killed on Monday outside a Walgreens when he tried to stop a gunman after a domestic shooting at about noon.
According to police, a woman who worked at the drug store, 22-year-old Quinisha Johnson got into an argument of some kind with her husband, 22-year-old Ricci Bradden, that resulted in Bradden shooting his wife in the lower leg. She is expected to recover from her injuries.
The Good Samaritan, identified as 35-year-old CrossFit instructor Anthony "T.J." Antell, witnessed the dispute and went to his car to retrieve a gun, confronted the suspect, and tried to make a citizen’s arrest. Bradden, who had returned to his vehicle in the parking lot, got out and gunned down the Good Samaritan, police said. He died at the scene.
“What was really traumatic, the Good Samaritan’s spouse was here and witnessed this,” said Arlington Police Lt. Chris Cook. “I can’t imagine going through that.”
Outside of a CrossFit gym owned by Antell, friends and family gathered on Monday evening.
Pastor Marc Lowrance spoke on their behalf.
"He went into a protective mode," Lowrance said. "He's a father, protective by nature, and he thought he could help."
The pastor said Antell also served in the military, and was a devoted father of three with a loving wife.
"Shock, sadness, anger and grief," he said. "They're just having to process through this hour by hour."
Bradden fled the scene, but later was taken into custody at a Department of Public Safety office in Hill County.
Quinisha Johnson said she didn’t know why Bradden was there because he was supposed to be at Fort Hood, where he is stationed in the Army. He is a private with the 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.
Detectives said in an arrest warrant that Bradden started driving south on I-35 after the shooting. Somewhere near Waxahachie he had a phone conversation with the executive officer of his unit and two other Army supervisors.
They told detectives Bradden confessed to shooting both his wife and Antell. They say they asked Bradden to turn himself in.
Bradden is charged with murder and is being held on $500,000 bond. Once he has been arraigned, he will be transported to Tarrant County.
As crime scene technicians processed the scene, onlookers and witnesses processed their emotions.
“Sickening. Sad,” said Courtney Hill after hearing a Good Samaritan had been killed. “You have to stay prayed up these days.”
Lt. Chris Cook said it’s not clear whether Anthony Antell even fired a shot before he was killed. The arrest warrant revealed that Bradden may have slapped Antell's gun out of his hands before shooting the man.
“It’s a judgment call that a citizen or officer has to make,” Cook said.
Anthony Antell made the call.
Ed. Note: The people shot were initially reported to be two women. Authorities have since provided an update that the shooting victims were a male and a female. We apologize for the discrepancy.