HCSO says the shooting happened during a fight among four women at a Walmart in northeast Harris County.
HOUSTON — A disturbance among women escalated to gunfire inside a Walmart in northeast Harris County on Thursday afternoon, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Investigators say the woman who fired the gun was a store employee.
Deputies got the call around 3 p.m. about the shooting at the store along the Sam Houston Tollway and Wilson Road near Atascocita Forest.
According to Major Joseph A. Blendermann with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, several women, including the employee, were in a scuffle that stemmed from prior disagreements. He said three of the women went to the store to complain to management about the employee.
She saw them and followed them into the parking lot, and that’s where the fight started, HCSO said, before they ended up back inside the store near the cash registers.
The store employee then pulled out a gun and fired shots at the victim, according to Blendermann. When deputies arrived minutes later, the shooter walked toward them with her hands raised and was taken into custody.
A woman was walked out of the store in handcuffs. We’ve blurred her face because charges were not yet filed.
The woman who was hit is stable and in good condition, with at least one gunshot wound to the arm.
HCSO said the store was closed while deputies investigated the scene.
It is unclear if the employee was on the clock during the incident.
KHOU 11 spoke to a man who was inside shopping when the shooting happened. Andra Spencer was in the automotive section.
“Next thing I know, I hear a gunshot and they say ‘Run to the back! Run to the back!'” he said. He was convinced there was a mass shooting inside the store.
“As soon as we heard the shots everyone started running. That’s the only thing I though of, that I wasn’t going to come out.”
He says he fell to the ground and was injured during the chaos. He hired a lawyer and intends to sue Walmart because he says the store failed to keep customers safe.
Got a news tip or story idea? Email us at newstips@khou.com and include the best way to reach you.