My theory. The victim had a gun in a holster. A Costco employee saw it, notified management who called the cops and monitored the guy. The guy was just shopping not damaging property. The cops are waiting at the front of the store. Costco employee points out the victim. The cops start screaming at him- “Drop your gun”, “Get down on your knees”,”Hit the ground”. The victim is totally stunned and has no idea what’s going on. He either reaches for his gun to comply with the “Drop your gun” order or one of the cops just panics and shoots him. Other cops hear shots and immediately start shooting, as well. Cops then find another gun on him. The 2nd gun may be the one aspect of the case which helps exonerate the cops - or fries them. If the victim had two guns on him, a lot of people- and jurors- are gonna think, “Is this guy some kind of nut. He’s got two guns on him?” Or, the cops panicked and planted a second gun on him. I think the videotapes and the 911 recording are gonna show this poor guy was just out shopping and minding his own business. We’ll see.
At this point, I find it just as likely that the second gun is a throw-down to help (as you note) the cops' case. Most cops are fine and upstanding public servants that are in it for the right reasons. But there are more ignorant, overzealous, and downright evil bastards "protecting us" than will ever make me comfortable. The Atlanta PD shooting of a 92 year old woman in a botched raid and the subsequent planting of evidence and coverup opened my eyes permanently.
This case stinks to high heaven. I pray the CCTV video A) exists undamaged, B) is in control of an independent agency, and C) is clear enough to resolve this without question one way or another.
I suspect your theory is the correct one.
Statements from the victims employer...”model employee, best salesman”, graduate of military academy, etc don't tend to support a rampaging lunatic creating panic.
For the sake of argument, let's say that he did become angry and “destroy merchandise”. What would be the sense of driving him, along with all the customers in the store, out the front door and into a confrontation with police officers?
I freely admit that, when I'm off my own property the only times I do not have two firearms on me are: