The killer of Arkansas' Democratic Party chairman had written his victim's name on a Post-It note and had two sets of car keys from his victim's car dealership, but links between the men and a motive for the slaying remained a mystery to investigators Thursday.

But local police said they still have no indication that the shooter knew Bill Gwatney, the 48-year-old former state senator who was gunned down inside his party's headquarters on Wednesday.

"You got to understand that the name Gwatney also belongs to Gwatney Chevrolet," Little Rock Lr. Terry Hastings told FOXNews.com on Thursday. Gwatney Chevrolet is one of the three car dealerships that the party chairman had owned.

Hastings, who stressed that the investigation is still ongoing, said, "There's nothing that tells us he was upset with him."

The suspect — identified as 50-year-old Timothy Dale Johnson of Searcy, Ark. — was later shot and killed by state troopers following a 30-mile car chase.

Investigators have yet to identify a motive, but said Johnson recently left a job at a Target in Conway, Ark., after writing graffiti on one of the store's walls.

Police could not confirm whether Johnson resigned or was fired, but a statement issued by the Target store Thursday said Johnson "voluntarily quit." It declined to give further details.

On Wednesday, police were called to the Target after Johnson became "extremely irate" following the incident over the graffiti, Conway police officer Sharen Carter told FOXNews.com.

When police arrived at the store, Target manager Steve Powers told them that Johnson was "no longer employed with Target and no longer allowed on the property," Carter said. Other store employees said Johnson's body shook as he turned in his ID badge.

"His behavior must have been severe enough that he was no longer allowed on the premises," Carter said.

Shooter Timothy Dale Johnson

Before he left the story, Johnson wrote graffitiin a hallway that said, "This way is too G** dam narrow," according to the local TV station FOX16.com.

The employee said that an hour later he wrote another message on a door that said, "Target: run by dumb jocks and their sorority whores," the station reported.

Click here for more on the graffiti from FOX16.com.

Police said that moments after shooting Gwatney, Johnson pointed a handgun at a worker at the nearby Arkansas Baptist headquarters. Dan Jordan, the group's business manager, said Johnson told the worker, "I lost my job."

Chairman Bill Gwatney died four hours after the shooting. The 48-year-old former state senator had been planning to travel to the Democratic National Convention later this month as a superdelegate. He had backed New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, the state's former first lady, but endorsed Barack Obama after Clinton dropped out of the race.

Clinton and her husband, former President and former Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, issued a statement saying Gwatney was "not only a strong chairman of Arkansas' Democratic Party, but ... also a cherished friend and confidant."

Obama and his wife, Michelle, also expressed his condolences.

"I was shocked and saddened to hear about the tragedy in Arkansas," Obama said in a written statement. "We're all grateful for the quick action of law enforcement and quick thinking by Chairman Gwatneys staff, and Michelle and I are keeping him and his family in our prayers."

Witnesses said the gunman entered the party offices shortly before noon and said he wanted to see Gwatney.

"He said he was interested in volunteering, but that was obviously a lie," said 17-year-old party volunteer Sam Higginbotham. He said that when the suspect was refused a meeting with Gwatney, he pushed past employees to reach the chairman's office.

Hastings said the suspect and Gwatney introduced themselves to one another, at which time the suspect "pulled out a handgun and shot Gwatney several times." Hastings didn't say what the two discussed, but said their discussion was not heated.

After the suspect avoided spike strips and a roadblock along U.S. 167 near Sheridan, police rammed his car, spinning it, said Grant County Sheriff Lance Huey. He got out of his truck and began shooting, and state police and sheriff's deputies fired back, striking him several times, he said.

Hastings said investigators found at least two handguns in the suspect's truck.

There was a busy signal Wednesday night at a phone number listed under Johnson's name. Little Rock police said they could find no criminal record for him.

The state Capitol was locked down for about an hour until police got word the gunman had been captured, said Arkansas State Capitol police Sgt. Charlie Brice.

Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat who served with Gwatney in the state Senate, had been on a flight to Springdale in northwestern Arkansas. He returned to Little Rock and joined an impromptu vigil at University Hospital after what he called a "shocking and senseless attack." Gwatney had been Beebe's finance chairman during the governor's 2006 campaign.

"Arkansas has lost a great son, and I have lost a great friend. There is deep pain in Arkansas tonight because of the sheer number of people who knew, respected and loved Bill Gwatney," Beebe 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."

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.

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.

Last November, a distraught man wearing what appeared to be a bomb walked into a Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire and demanded to speak to the candidate about access to mental health care. A hostage drama dragged on for nearly six hours until he peacefully surrendered.

The confrontation brought Clinton's campaign to a standstill just five weeks before the New Hampshire primary. Security for her was increased as a precaution. She said she did not know the suspect.

Gwatney also earned a reputation for being an outspoken critic of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, coining the phrase, "Pinning Huckabee down on an issue is like nailing Jello to the wall."

Huckabee reacted to news of the shooting Wednesday by releasing the following statement: "The senseless shooting at Democratic Party Headquarters in Little Rock today is a shocking and sobering reminder of just how depraved our world has become. All of our thoughts and prayers turn toward Bill Gwatney and his family today, while we await details on what happened and why."

Officials said the funeral for Gwatney will be held Monday at a Little Rock church.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.