In the early hours of May 26, 2015, a quiet night in Grand Forks, North Dakota, was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of a beloved community member. Gregory Weiland, a 70-year-old Caucasian male, was working his overnight shift as a cashier at a local Walmart when he was fatally shot. The tranquility of the store was abruptly broken when an individual entered and opened fire.
The gunman was identified as 21-year-old Marcell Willis, a senior airman stationed at the
nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base. After shooting Weiland, Willis also shot and wounded another Walmart employee, 47-year-old Lisa Braun, the overnight grocery general manager. Shortly after, Willis took his own life. The motive for this sudden and tragic attack remains unknown.
Subsequent investigations by the Grand Forks police revealed that Willis acted alone in planning and carrying out the shooting. An autopsy later determined that Willis had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 percent, more than twice the legal limit to drive in North Dakota, at the time of the incident. With the perpetrator deceased, the police closed their investigation, leaving a community to mourn and grapple with the senseless loss of one of its own. Memorial services for Gregory Weiland were held at St. Michael's Catholic Church, and he was laid to rest at St. Bernard's Catholic Cemetery in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
