A Walmart staff in Georgia tragically shot two neighbors and critically injured another in a targeted shooting rampage that began inside a sealed Walmart business early Friday, according to law enforcement officials.
According to the news agency AP, the suspect, who was working at the Covington-area Walmart Supercenter at the time, first exited the building around 1: 30 am ( local time ) to retrieve a firearm before returning and fatally shooting a co-worker inside, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office said.
The business was closed to the public, and simply workers were inside at the time.
He then shot a second individual outside the shop, thoroughly wounding them. Officials said the shooter then drove to a local home less than two miles away, where he forced his way in and tragically shot a woman friendship. It remains unclear whether she even worked at Walmart.
” This was not an active shooter condition”, CBS News quoted the sheriff’s office. ” The suggest specifically targeted people they knew”, the coroner’s office added.
The male fled Georgia following the murders and was tracked using Flock Health surveillance cameras, which can detect cars by license plate, make, design and color. He was apprehended later that morning in Aiken, South Carolina, near the Georgia state line, authorities confirmed during a briefing, according to The Newsweek.
Officials have not released the identities of the victims or the suspect, and the motive remains under investigation. However, authorities emphasised the personal nature of the attacks, suggesting the victims were known to the shooter.
The wounded employee remains in critical condition at a local hospital.
Walmart issued a statement expressing shock and sorrow. ” We’re heartbroken by what’s happened”, CBS News quoted Joe Pennington, director of Walmart’s global press office. ” There’s no place for violence in our stores. We’re focused on taking care of our associates and supporting law enforcement with their investigation”, Pennington added.
The Newton County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is ongoing.
