Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill  Gwatney is dead. He was shot by a gunman, identified by police as Timothy Dale Johnson of Searcy, at Democratic Party  headquarters in Little Rock. He was 49. 

Little Rock police spokesman Lieutenant Terry Hastings says Gwatney died at 3:59 p.m.

Officials and witnesses said Johnson entered Democratic Party offices and said he wanted to volunteer. Then he barged into Gwatney's office and shot him three times. The attack occurred shortly after noon.

Hastings says Gwatney was shot multiple times in his upper body. He says there is no known connection between Gwatney and the Johnson.

Johnson sped away from the headquarters and was shot dead in Grant County at the conclusion of a 30-mile chase. Police say he was shot when officers returned fire after Johnson shot at them.

Johnson was 50 years old.

Moments before the Democratic headquarters shooting, a man with a gun had threatened workers at the Arkansas State Baptist Convention headquarters seven blocks east. Business manager Dan Jordan says a man with a gun told another manager that he'd just lost his job.

Jordan says the man pointed the gun but didn't fire.

Governor Mike Beebe, a Democrat who served with Gwatney in the Legislature, had been on a flight to Springdale in northwestern
Arkansas but returned to the Capitol after hearing about the shooting.

Karen Ray, executive director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, sent her workers home early "out of an abundance of caution."

Gwatney, who owned and operated three car dealerships in Pulaski County, served 10 years in the state Senate. Gwatney was Beebe's finance chairman during Beebe's run for governor in 2006. He became head of the party in 2007, following his years in  the state Senate.

Over the years Gwatney had been discussed as a possible Democratic candidate for governor or U.S. Senate. But he said he had plenty to occupy him with his car dealerships and his family.

Video: click here for Channel 7's Live at Five coverage of the shooting

Video: click here for raw footage of the LRPD Press Conference

Video: click here for raw footage of the ASP Press Conference (prior to Chairman Gwatney's death.)

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)