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PINEVILLE, N.C. — A Walmart employee was shot during a fight over an alleged shoplifting attempt Sunday evening at the Pineville location.
The incident happened just before 6:30 p.m. at the store on Pineville-Matthews Road near Kettering Drive. MEDIC said they took one person to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
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Investigators said that was when the employee tried to grab the chicken from Smith, starting a scuffle between them. Other Walmart employees broke up the fight.
The Pineville Police Department said the suspect, 32-year-old Jonathan Alan Smith, was checking out at the self-checkout when a Walmart employee realized he had not scanned his chicken or his dog food.
When the employee brought that to Smith’s attention, Smith paid for the dog food but still didn’t pay for the chicken, police said.
Smith left the store and returned shortly afterward with a gun near his right pocket, police said. Smith went inside the Walmart and confronted several employees, starting another fight between them.
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During the fight, police said the gun that Smith had in his pocket fell out, causing everyone involved to try to get control of it. One of the employees was shot in the leg when the gun went off during that scuffle, investigators said.
The employee who was shot was not seriously hurt, police said.
Linda Smith is a regular customer and is acquainted with the victim’s family. She told Channel 9′s Glenn Counts her thoughts are with them.
“They are wonderful people. They are awesome, they will help you with anything. They are just so good,” she said. “I had lost my wallet somewhere, and I came back the next day, and they just go out of the way.”
Jonathan Smith was taken into custody by police and was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and misdemeanor larceny (tied to the chicken).
This is a developing story; check back at wsoctv.com for updates.
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Jessica Roberts is a seasoned business writer who deciphers the intricacies of the corporate world. With a focus on finance and entrepreneurship, she provides readers with valuable insights into market trends, startup innovations, and economic developments.
