Mississippi Walmart Shooting Leaves 2 Dead; Officer Shot: Reports

SOUTHHAVEN, MS — Two people are dead and a police officer was shot at a Walmart store in Southaven, Mississippi, Tuesday morning, according to news reports. DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco said two people were found dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred around 6:30 a.m. local time.

The police officer was taken to a hospital for treatment, but is expected to survive. The officer was reportedly wearing a bulletproof vest.

A Southhaven police officer shot the shooter, whose condition was not immediately available, according to news station KRON.

Multiple injuries were reported, and police asked people to avoid the area near Interstate 55 and Goodman Road, where the store is located.

One of those killed was the manager of the store, WREG reported. The news outlet described the suspect as a “disgruntled employee,” and a reporter for Local24, citing employees, said the shooter had worked at the tore for 25 years before he was recently fired.

Both of those killed were employees of the store, the Local24 report said.

Carlos Odom told CNN gunshots rang out as he walked out of the store.

“I heard a bunch of gunshots,” he said. “Pop pop pop pop — more than a dozen shots.”

Odom said his first thought was “run!” and dashed to his car.

“This is crazy,” he said. “The world is crazy nowadays.”

Southhaven, Mississippi’s third-largest city with a population of about 49,000, is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee.

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