Cops: Shoplifter attempts to shoot Gwinnett shopper trying to stop him

An alleged shoplifter tried to shoot a person who tried to stop him, Gwinnett County police say.

Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department

Credit: Gwinnett County Police Department

An alleged shoplifter tried to shoot a person who tried to stop him, Gwinnett County police say.

A man shoplifting $1,800 worth of merchandise from Home Depot pointed a gun at bystanders trying to stop him and tried to shoot one of them, Gwinnett County police said.

The man loaded a cart with items at the store on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road on Sept. 5 and fled toward the parking lot, police said. Multiple shoppers noticed and tried to intervene, but the man pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot. He then tried to shoot one bystander, but the gun did not fire, according to police. He also physically assaulted another bystander who was trying to stop him, police said.

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The man broke away and ran to a waiting car. Both the man and his accomplice fled the scene and have not been apprehended.

This incident caused the lockdown at Georgia Gwinnett College on Sept. 5. The school was in "soft lockdown" for 30 minutes while campus public safety officers checked buildings and parking decks for the suspects.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Gwinnett County detectives at 770-513-5300 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477. Crime Stoppers tips may be rewarded with up to $2,000 if they lead to an arrest or indictment.

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