Suspended Walmart employee kills 2 coworkers, shoots police officer
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. July 31 2019—Two people are dead and two others injured following a shooting at the Southaven Walmart early Tuesday morning.
A Southaven police officer and the alleged shooter – a former Walmart employee- were both injured. The officer is expected to be okay after the bullet hit his vest. The former employee was taken to the Regional Medical Center after he was shot twice.
The two people who were killed were Walmart employees. They, along with the alleged shooter, have not been identified.
WREG has learned the that former employee was suspended on Monday after pulling a knife on a customer. It appears he then returned to the store on Tuesday and opened fire.
The incident sent employees running from the scene into a nearby parking lot a safe distance away. Some of them were gathered in a circle praying for those who had been injured or killed, while others were being interviewed by police.
Hours after the incident two of them were transported from the scene by ambulance. It’s unclear if they were injured, over heated or in shock.
WREG’s Melissa Moon spoke with several people who were inside the store at the time of the shooting, including customer Carlito Odom who was there to see his cousin.
“Just come see him every morning. By the time I was walking out the building all of the employees just ran past me and I just heard shooting, so I just ran with the crowd. I thought about it ‘let me call my cousin.’ He didn’t answer about six or seven times.”
His cousin did eventually call him back. Odom described that as a moment of “relief.”
“I just went and talked to him so it made me feel a little better, but he’s just shook up very badly.”
“It’s just a real crazy situation.”
Another employee’s family told WREG that she was in the parking lot and saw her boss get shot by the suspect. She claimed that the shooter then pointed the weapon towards her and told her she was going to be next. Thankfully, she was able to run from the suspect and hide.
Again, authorities have not released any information at this time about what happened. Police will be holding a news conference at 11 a.m. to update the public. WREG will be streaming the presser online and on-air.
The store is located near I-55 and Goodman Road, a busy section of Southaven. WREG’s Jerrita Patterson said the surrounding stores and restaurants are open.
