One man is in custody after shooting a Walmart employee who confronted him about shoplifting Friday morning in East Point, police said.
The shooting occurred just before noon when a loss prevention officer at the Cleveland Avenue store approached 24-year-old Tyler Cortez Johnson about the alleged stolen merchandise, East Point police Capt. Allyn Glover said.
“The male then pulled a gun and shot the employee before fleeing out the front door,” he said.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Channel 2 Action News reported that the shooting occurred in front of customers, some of whom ran outside after hearing the gunshot.
A second employee taking a lunch break in his car saw Johnson running through the parking lot and followed him as he called 911 with the man’s location. Officers then “flooded” the area and took him into custody, Glover said.
“(He) was actually able to follow him and gave us a general direction of where he was headed,” Glover told the news station. “We were able to apprehend the shooter with the gun within a minute or two.”
The injured employee, who was shot in the side, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital. Police said Monday the injured employee was stable after surgery.
A large police presence remained at the store late into the afternoon as would-be shoppers hoping to get groceries and pick up prescriptions were turned away at the door.
Police have not released Johnson’s charges.
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