In the summer of 2015, the life of 42-year-old Gillace Monroe Samples came to a tragic end in Beech Grove, Indiana. On the morning of August 13th, Samples, a male, and another individual named Johnny Maxey were allegedly involved in a shoplifting incident at a local Walmart. Their attempt was thwarted by store employees, one of whom was an off-duty Marion County Sheriff's Department deputy working as security.
When confronted, Samples reportedly brandished a handgun before fleeing the
store, prompting a pursuit by the off-duty deputy and officers from both the Beech Grove and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Departments. With the help of witnesses, law enforcement tracked Samples to a nearby restaurant, Egg Roll No. 1, where he had taken refuge inside a restroom. As officers closed in to apprehend him, a single gunshot was heard from within.
Upon entering the restroom, police discovered Samples with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to Eskenazi Hospital in critical condition but ultimately succumbed to his injuries the following day, on August 14, 2015. At the time of his death, Samples was a wanted man, sought for a parole violation as well as for battery by means of a deadly weapon and being a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm in connection with a prior shooting incident.
Due to the nature of his death being a suicide, there were no suspects or arrests made in connection with the death of Gillace Monroe Samples. The investigation concluded that he had taken his own life. The dramatic events at the Walmart were part of a series of high-profile incidents at that location, which led the mayor of Beech Grove to declare the store a public nuisance at the time.
