Update: Suspected Shooter Pursued Relationship With Federal Agent's Wife, Police Documents Show

Police documents revealed Thursday that a wounded federal agent had told his suspected shooter to stop talking to his wife.

A San Francisco Chronicle report published Thursday stated that 61-year-old Piedmont resident Dennis Bagwell, the suspected shooter, had known the victim’s wife, but police would not confirm whether that fact is significant to the case.

Newark Cmdr. Tom Milner would not provide information about the nature of the relationship between Bagwell and the victim’s wife, but Bay Area Optical School owner and director Daniel Ross told Patch that Bagwell taught at the school where the victim's wife had attended last year.

When asked if Bagwell had been stalking the woman, Milner stated, “I can neither confirm nor deny that, due to the sensitivity of this case and ongoing nature of the investigation.”

Bagwell was arrested Tuesday in Union City, hours after that happened on the 7700 block of Mayhew Landing Road.

Officers responded to the home and found the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

Milner would not comment on the victim’s medical condition but did say authorities are “thankful that our officer is still with us.” Other media reports state that police said the victim remains in very serious and potentially life-threatening condition.

Police documents show that the victim, 61-year-old Robert Suplik, and Bagwell had met through Suplik's wife and that when an officer asked Suplik if he knew who shot him when he was being transported to the hospital, he said "Dennis" several times and mentioned Bay Area Optical School.

Police also said that after an officer informed Suplik's wife that her husband mentioned "Dennis" after the shooting she said implicated Bagwell and told investigators that the two had an uneasy relationship.

Suplik's wife said Bagwell had tried to pursue an intimate relationship with her but that she turned him down but said she maintained a casual relationship in which she spoke with him and texted him occassionally.

Bagwell, she said, did behave erratically sometimes and recently showed up at the Suplik's one-story home, hiding behind the bushes.

Suplik confronted Bagwell about the behavior and asked Bagwell to leave his wife alone, according to police. Police said Bagwell last talked with the familiy on Friday.

Bagwell appeared for an arraignment at the Fremont Hall of Justice in Dept. 604 Thursday afternoon. He faces charges of attempted murder and assault with a firearm and is being held at Santa Rita Jail on no bail.

Bagwell only spoke directly to Superior Court Judge Richard Keller and requested a public defender. Bagwell is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. Friday at the Fremont Hall of Justice.

A group of what appeared to be acquaintances of the victim, including U.S. Customs and Border officers, sat quietly guarded by bailiffs in the courtroom.

On the opposite side of the room, Bagwell's family members sat in the front row, and a bailiff denied Bagwell's sister's request to hand him a note.

As they rushed out of the courtroom, the woman, who identified herself as Bagwell's sister, told reporters that she "Wanted to tell [Bagwell] that we love him and we support him."

Authorities have said that Bagwell has no criminal history, and Milner said Thursday he does not believe that Newark police ever had to be in contact with Bagwell prior to Tuesday’s shooting.

Milner could not say whether authorities still define Tuesday’s shooting as a random event but said he doesn’t want the community to be alarmed.

“We have a lot of theories,” Milner said. “We’re looking at every angle, and not ruling out anything at this point, and we’re hoping to narrow it down with our continued energy toward [solving] this tragic event.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Det. Sergeant Mike Carroll at 510-578-4247. Anonymous tips can be called into 510-578-4000, extension 500.

Bay City News Contributed to this report.

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Editor's Note: This report was updated around 6 p.m. Thursday to add information from police documents.