An 18-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday, July 7, in connection with a shooting that scrambled shoppers in Wal-Mart in the Atlanta area, according to Georgia officials.
Matthew Thomas Jr. was charged with assault after police said he had shot a man during a quarrel at Wal-Mart’s meat department on Highway 85 in Riverdale.Officers arrived at the store after 7 pm
Riverdale police said in a news release that off-duty police officers were working part-time and asked for backup after hearing the shooting. The incident prompted a fierce police response by troops from the Clayton County Police Department, South Fulton Police Station, Marshals Service, and several other agencies.
According to police, Thomas had fled the store by the time authorities arrived. The surveillance video showed that he was discussing with another man shortly before the shooting.
The shot man was taken to the hospital, officials said. His condition was unknown as of July 8.
To explain the horrifying scene, the customer Gunshot WXIA reported that it caused stampede to leave the store.
“We heard people say,’Gun! Run! Shot!’, She told the news station. “I have two kids, so I’m running out of a store with two kids. Everyone was ducks and running. We’re trying to shop at Walmart. We. Is running for our lives. Sad. “
A Wal-Mart employee who arrived at work that night told WSB-TV They turned their backs And when they saw the presence of heavy police, they were afraid of the worst.
“We started at 9 o’clock and they told us to go home,” the worker told the station. “I was wondering if my colleague was injured.”
Thomas was booked at Clayton County Prison on July 8th. Held without bondsOnline records are displayed.
Riverdale is about 15 miles south of downtown Atlanta.
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