A Walmart employee was shot and killed while working at a store in Hammond, Indiana, on Monday morning, and police say the young man accused of firing the shots put down his gun and waited nearby to be arrested.
The shooting happened at the Walmart Supercenter at 1100 Fifth Avenue in Hammond, just across the state line from Chicago. Police were called at about 9:09 a.m. local time on Monday, November 2.
Argument in an aisle turned deadly
According to Hammond police, the woman, a 25-year-old employee, was talking with an 18-year-old man in one of the store’s aisles when the encounter turned physical. Police say the man then pulled out a gun and shot her several times. She died at the scene.
Police said the two appeared to know each other, but they have not said how, or what the argument was about.
Hammond police Captain Steve Kellogg said that after the shooting the suspect walked a couple of aisles away, sat down on the floor and waited for officers to arrive. An off-duty police officer who was in the store at the time detained him, and he was taken into custody at the scene.
No one else was reported hurt. Police said they believe it was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing danger to the public.
Names not released
Neither the victim nor the suspect had been officially named by Monday afternoon, and police had not announced any charges. The investigation is ongoing.
Police offered their condolences to the woman’s family, friends and co-workers.
Store closed for the day
A large police presence remained outside the store for several hours, and the Walmart stayed closed for the rest of the day.
In a statement, Walmart said it was heartbroken by what happened at its Hammond store and was working closely with the authorities.
Another shooting in a busy weekend
The killing came at the end of a violent stretch across the United States. Over the Halloween weekend, shootings at parties, campuses and nightlife districts left at least two dozen people dead nationwide, including a pregnant woman killed inside a Spirit Halloween store in Fairfield, California.
Workplace shootings at retail stores have become a recurring concern in the US, and labour groups have long called for better protection for frontline staff, especially those who may be at risk from people they know.
Flashinfong will update this story as police release more details.
Sources: Hammond Police Department, CBS Chicago, ABC7 Chicago, NBC Chicago, WGN.
