LITTLE ROCK — Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney was shot at the State Democratic Party Headquarters in Little Rock, Wednesday. His condition is unknown.

An aid from the governors office confirmed the shooting about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday. The shooting occurred at approximately 12 p.m.

Police chased the driver of a blue pickup after the shooting south on I-530 to U.S. 167. Police shot a suspect near Sheridan.

Gwatney was taken from the scene by ambulance, according to witnesses

More to follow…

State Democratic Party Chair Bill Gwatney was shot at State Democratic Party HQ on Capitol Avenue around noon today, witnesses at the scene said..

There was no official report on his condition, but he was taken from the scene in an ambulance and a witness said the wound was serious.

From David Koon: Three shots were heard after a man had entered the office and asked to see the party chairman. He was led to an office and the shots were fired. The man ran out, jumped in a blue pickup and drove off. Police were in pursuit not long after and reportedly spotted the pickup later leaving the Pine Bluff freeway at the Sheridan exit.

Gwatney’s secretary made the 911 call from a florist shop next door. She was heard to tell the police dispatch: “Help, our chairman’s been shot.” The shooter was described in the phone call as a man in his 40s, with whitish hair and wearing khaki pants.

Breaking fast…

Police chased the driver of a blue pickup after the shooting south on I-530 to U.S. 167. Police shot a suspect near Sheridan.

And another…

Police say the victim, whom they didn’t identify, was in criticial condition from multiple shots in the upper part of his body. At the briefing, police said the shooter left in a blue pickup. The truck was discovered close by. The man apparently changed to another car, which police were able to identify. A chase ensued and it ended in Sheridan, where police say the suspect was shot and taken into custody. His condition is unknown. The police had no indication of motive. Several Democratic employees were in the office at the time and were being questioned.

Channel 7 in Little Rock is saying that the suspect is ‘dead’ and the chairman is ‘critical’.

Police may have picked up the shooter’s trail because he threatened someone with a gun nearby not long after. Reports were that a man with a gun confronted a building manager in the Arkansas Baptist State Convention office building a few blocks east of Democratic headquarters and said he’d lost his job. He pointed the gun, but didn’t shoot. He fled in a vehicle whose description was reported to police.

On the scene…

Report: The Arkansas State Capital is currently in lock down mode.

(CNN) — The chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party died Wednesday, hours after a shooting at the party’s headquarters, according to a statement from former President Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Police would not identify the victim, but the statement gave his name as Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney.

The shooting suspect also died Wednesday afternoon after a high-speed chase ended in gunfire, police said.

The suspect had walked into the downtown headquarters, near the state Capitol building, about 11:50 a.m. and started firing, Little Rock police Lt. Terry Hastings said.

Sadly, the Arkansas State Chair for the DNC has died from his wounds.

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