Two individuals, including an innocent bystander, were injured on Wednesday after a man reportedly started shooting during a conflict at a Walmart Supercenter in Evergreen Park, Illinois. The suspect is currently in police custody.
The shooting occurred just before 3 p.m. According to police, the suspect arrived at the store after being dropped off by a vehicle, coinciding with the arrival of his first victim.
Evergreen Park Police Chief Michael Saunders reported that the two men, who were apparently acquainted, engaged in a heated argument outside the Walmart. During this confrontation, the suspect allegedly pulled out a firearm and began shooting, hitting a 23-year-old man in the leg multiple times.
The injured man, bleeding heavily, fled into the store while the suspect continued firing indiscriminately. In the chaos, a 70-year-old woman standing near the entrance was struck in the foot by a bullet fragment or a ricochet, according to police statements.
As of Wednesday evening, authorities had not disclosed the names of the individuals involved in the shooting.
After the incident, the 23-year-old man was rushed to a hospital where he underwent surgery, though his current condition remains unknown, Chief Saunders told CBS Chicago. Meanwhile, the elderly woman was taken to another hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
The alleged shooter ran out the back of the store and hid in a nearby yard, where the homeowner spotted him and alerted police. He was apprehended within about 15 minutes, Saunders told reporters.
The vehicle that dropped the gunman off was later located about five miles away, however cops weren’t yet sure who was driving it or whether they had any connection to the shooting.
An investigation remains ongoing, including into whether the shooting was a targeted attack on the wounded man.
Targeted or not, the gunfire sent frantic customers and employees scurrying through the busy store bustling with late-afternoon shoppers, though no one else was shot.
“I heard gunshots, and that’s when I was running for cover, and everybody was scattering everywhere,” a customer told CBS. “That’s all I heard was bow, bow, bow, gunshots.”
