18-year-old shoots man during argument in Walmart meat department, Georgia police say
An 18-year-old was arrested in connection with a shooting that sent shoppers scrambling inside an Atlanta-area Walmart on Thursday, July 7, according to authorities in Georgia.
Matthew Thomas Jr. is charged with aggravated assault after police said he shot a man during an argument in the meat section at the Walmart on Highway 85 in Riverdale. Officers arrived at the store just after 7 p.m.
An off-duty officer was working there part-time and called for backup after hearing the gunshots, Riverdale police said in a news release. The incident prompted a heavy police response with units from the Clayton County Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, U.S. Marshals and several other agencies.
Thomas had run from the store by the time authorities arrived, police said. Surveillance video showed him arguing with another man moments before the shooting.
The man who was shot was taken to a hospital, according to authorities. His condition wasn’t known as of July 8.
Describing the frightening scene, a customer said she was waiting to check out when the sound of gunfire sparked a stampede to get out of the store, WXIA reported.
“We heard people saying, ‘Gun! Run! Shots!’” she told the news station. “I have two children, so I’m running out the store with two children, everybody was ducking, running. We’re in Walmart trying to shop. We’re running for our lives. It’s sad.”
Walmart employees arriving for work that evening told WSB-TV they were turned away and feared the worst when they saw the heavy police presence.
“We start at 9 and they told us to go home,” a worker told the station. “We were wondering if our co-workers were hurt.”
Thomas was booked into the Clayton County Jail on July 8 and is being held without bond, online records show.
Riverdale is about 15 miles south of downtown Atlanta.
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