Arkansas ? The man who walked into the state Democratic offices in Little Rock, Ark., claimed he wanted to support the party as a volunteer. Instead, he ended up killing the man who gave the party much of its passion.

Bill Gwatney was gunned down Wednesday at the height of state dominance of the Democratic Party, in the shadow of the state Capitol where his public service career began.

Timothy Dale Johnson, 50, burst into Gwatney’s office and introduced himself before shooting him. There were no signs that Gwatney and the gunman, who was later shot and killed by police, knew each other.

Johnson may have recently lost his job, though police don’t know why he targeted Gwatney, roundly praised in state political circles.