Shooting at MS Walmart Leaves 2 Employees Dead
A shooting allegedly carried out by a disgruntled former employee at a Walmart in Southaven, Miss., has resulted in the deaths of two store associates, according to published reports. A police officer exchanged fire with the gunman, who was shot twice and taken to a local hospital, where he was said to have undergone surgery. The officer, meanwhile, was hit in his bulletproof vest and suffered no serious injuries.
According to USA Today, officers arrived on the scene just after 6:30 a.m. and encountered the suspect in the parking lot outside of the store, when the exchange of gunfire occurred. Southaven police had recently taken part in active-shooter response training, which helped them during the real-life situation, the city’s police chief, Macon Moore, told the national newspaper.
At the time of the shooting, about 60 employees were inside the Walmart. There were also reports of a fire set inside the store and of a suspicious package on the premises.
The victims were identified as Brandon Gales, the store manager, age 38, and Anthony Brown, 40, according to a local TV station's report.
The suspect had been employed by the store until Monday, July 29. Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite described him to USA Today as having a “personal grievance with his employer.”
“The entire Walmart family is heartbroken by the loss of two valued members of our team,” said Greg Foran, president and CEO, Walmart U.S., in a statement on the mega-retailer’s website. “We feel tragedies like this personally, and our hearts go out to the families of our two associates and the officer who was injured. We are relieved the suspect was apprehended, and we appreciate the quick response of the local authorities and our associates. We’ll continue to focus on assisting law enforcement in their investigation and on supporting our associates.”
The Bentonville, Ark.-based company also tweeted: “We’re deeply saddened by the reports from our store in Southaven, Mississippi. We are working with local law enforcement and will continue to update as we learn more. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the entire Southaven community.”
Operating more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries, along with ecommerce websites, and employing more than 2.2 million associates worldwide, Walmart Inc. is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s Super 50 2019 list of top grocers in the United States.
