Walmart shooting inside store leaves 1 dead, 18-year-old suspect arrested

A woman has died, and a teenage shooter is in custody after a shooting broke out at an Indiana Walmart on Monday, Nov. 2.

Police in Hammond, Ind., located just outside Chicago, were first called to the Walmart location on 5th Avenue at around 9:10 a.m. on Monday, after an off-duty officer reported a shooting inside the store, the Hammond Police Department said in a statement.

Officials said that the off-duty officer had taken the shooter into custody.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that a male suspect was speaking with a female employee when the encounter escalated into a physical altercation,” police wrote. “The suspect then reportedly retrieved a firearm and shot the employee multiple times.”

The suspect is believed to be about 18 years old, police said, per CBS Chicago, NBC Chicago and WGN. The victim is a 25-year-old female employee, NBC Chicago reported.

She died from her injuries, police said in their statement.

Hammond Police Department Cpt. Steve Kellogg told CBS News that after the shooting, the teenage gunman walked a few aisles away, placed his gun on the ground, and waited to be arrested. He is still in custody.

Video footage of the scene shows several police cars, as well as a Lake County Coroner vehicle, parked outside of the store in the aftermath of the incident.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. told WGN that this was a domestic-related incident, and employees and customers were inside the store at the time of the shooting.

“It does appear that they know each other,” police Cpt. Kellogg added to CBS News. “They have quite a long conversation before anything takes place.”

Police said the incident appeared to be isolated, and investigators do not believe there is a threat to the public. The Walmart location was closed for the rest of the day after the shooting.

“We’re heartbroken by what’s happened at our Hammond, IN store,” a Walmart spokesperson told PEOPLE after the incident. “We’re working closely with authorities as they continue investigating.”

The Hammond Police Department added in its statement that the investigation is ongoing and additional information will be released when it becomes available.

“The Hammond Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and coworkers,” the department added.

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