UPDATE:

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

An aide 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 info coming in: http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=70759&catid=238

(Little Rock, Ark.) KTHV -- Little Rock police are on the scene of a shooting on West Capitol Street at the state Democratic party headquarters. The Arkansas Democratic Party says the chairman, Bill Gwatney, is hospitalized in critical condition after incident. Little Rock police say a suspect in the shooting was shot after after a chase that ended near Sheridan in Grant County.

A sales clerk at a flower shop across street from the party headquarters said that around noon, Gwatney's secretary ran into the shop and asked someone to call 911. She said a man had come into the party headquarters and shot Gwatney several times.

The suspect reportedly entered the party headquarters and asked to speak with Gwatney before firing three shots.

The 1300 block West Capitol was shut down after the shooting, just blocks from the state capitol in downtown Little Rock.

Officers said they pursued a white man in his 40's that fled the scene in a blue Dodge pickup truck. Police say the suspect was apprehended following a chase that stretched into Grant County, south of Little Rock. Police say the suspect was shot by Arkansas State Police troopers during his capture near Sheridan. The suspect's condition was not immediately known.

What kind of madness is this?!?

More details from MSNBC/AP:

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A gunman entered the Arkansas Democratic Party headquarters Wednesday and shot the party chairman, who was hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.

The gunman asked to speak to the party chairman, Bill Gwatney , and fired three shots.

"He came in and went into this office and started shooting," police Lt. Terry Hastings told reporters near the party headquarters.

Gwatney, a former legislator, was in critical condition, Hastings said.

The suspect was chased into Grant County, south of Little Rock, and apprehended after being shot, the police spokesman said. The suspect's condition was not known.

Sarah Lee, a sales clerk at a flower shop across street from the party headquarters, said that around noon Gwatney's secretary ran into the shop and asked someone to call 911. She said a man had come into the party and shot Gwatney multiple times.

Lee said the secretary told her the man had come into the party's office and asked to speak with Gwatney. When the secretary said she wouldn't allow him to meet with Gwatney, the man went into his office and shot him, Lee said.

She said the secretary described the man as in his 40s and white and drove off in a blue truck.

[editor's note, by fogiv] Let's all keep in mind that (at this point) we don't know what motivated this person to violence.

Update [2008-8-13 14:55:56 by fogiv]:More from above source:

Witnesses told NBC Little Rock affiliate the shooter talked with a few party employees at the headquarters, complaining that he had lost his job.

FBI spokesman Steve Frazier said his agency was assisting in the investigation but could not offer any details. "We're aware of it. We're helping the state police right now," Frazier said.

Party director Bruce Sinclair and House Majority Leader Steve Harelson, a Democrat, identified Gwatney as the victim.

Gov. 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, Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said.

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

"Our hearts go out to everyone at the Democratic headquarters. What a tragedy," Ray said. "This is just a very upsetting, troubling and scary thing for our staff as well."

Gwatney, who owns and operates 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.