A Walmart employee was killed and a customer was critically injured after they were shot by a shoplifter as they tried to stop him from leaving the store.
The suspect, who remains at large, opened fire at around 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, as several employees and customers tried to block his exit at the Princeton Road location in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Local 12 News reported that the employee who died was the store’s greeter. The customer, who was reportedly shot in the stomach, was hospitalized as a result of his injuries and was said to be in a critical condition by police.
“These people were here on a normal day shopping,” Capt. Doug Lanier of Fairfield Township Police said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “This stemmed from a theft. And it just evolved from there. It’s a very tragic incident. I can’t even begin to fathom or speak for the people that were working here, or shopping here, when this occurred.”
Police said the suspect’s face was covered by a mask, and that he wore dark clothing and a red shirt. He fled the scene in a car, which police later found with a passenger inside. That person is being questioned, but the suspect’s whereabouts are still unknown.
A witness told the Enquirer: “It was the scariest situation I’ve ever been in and I am thankful I am home tonight and pray for the people who didn’t make it home to their families.”
Newsweek has reached out the Fairfield Township Police Department.
This is a developing story.
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