Walmart halts sale of assault rifles and sniper rifles!

After years of pressure by gun violence prevention groups and victims, not to mention increases in at least the last three years, Walmart has announced that it is discontinuing sales of assault rifles and sniper rifles in its stores.  This is a tremendous success for common sense!

gun crimes and shootings at its stores for

Up until this, Walmart had sold five different models of assault rifles.  Some of these have been used in shootings on Walmart property or have been stolen from the store counters.

Walmart continues to sell shotguns, hunting rifles, and ammunition, as well as realistic-looking airguns, and they still allow people to carry concealed handguns in their stores.

From an article:

The world’s largest retailer will stop stocking AR-15s and other modern sporting rifles (MSRs) as it resets its stores with fall merchandise, a Walmart spokesman confirmed to Quartz on Wednesday. The company will replace the rifles (carried in less than a third of its stores) with shotguns and other hunting weapons.

The move comes in the midst of a national gun debate fueled by high-profile shootings involving the weapon, including Adam Lanza in the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, James Holmes in the Colorado theater shooting, and the Los Angeles Airport shooting where a Transportation Security Administration officer was shot and killed.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation says modern sporting rifles are among the most popular firearms being sold in America.

Walmart claims the move was a "business decision" and not due to pressure, but assault rifles continue to be a hot commodity with the gun guys, so I think we all know what the truth is here.  There has been a lot of outcry, including petitions like HERE and HERE.

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Addendum (8/28/15):  A statement of support from New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

Felons steal ammunition from Louisiana Walmart and use it to shoot a cop

Occurred January 21, 2015.


Two men and a woman entered a Walmart store in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, and stole ammunition.

Deputies responded, and when they pulled over the car with the suspects, one of the men, 27-year-old Chadwick Schwender, bailed out of the car and started shooting with a "high powered rifle" (most likely an assault rifle), hitting the squad car and striking one of the deputies in the hand.

All three were arrested after they tried to get away.  All three were felons.

From an article and news video:

At around 3 p.m. Deputy Atkins conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle that was occupied by two men and a woman who stole ammunition from Wal-Mart in Donaldsonville earlier in the day on Tuesday.

When Deputy Atkins stopped the vehicle, the passenger of the vehicle opened fire on him.

According to Chief Bacala, three rounds were fired toward Deputy Atkins. One hitting his sheriff's office cruiser, and another struck Deputy Atkins in the hand. Deputy Atkins ran to at a nearby house where the resident called 911.

Deputy Atkins was rushed to a local hospital where he was released on Wednesday, January 21 and is expected to make a full recovery.

The two accomplices, a man and a woman, were arrested shortly after the shooting after trying to drive away, but crashing their vehicle. They were later identified as 27-year-old Jennifer McGhee and 27-year-old Chadwick Schwender. They attempted to break into a house by kicking in the door and forcing the homeowner to give up the keys to the vehicle. Deputies recovered the stolen vehicle in a ditch and McGhee and Schwender were arrested on scene.

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Accidental gun discharge in Missouri Walmart

Occurred January 21, 2015.


An "accidental discharge" of a gun occurred at a Walmart store in Osage Beach, Missouri.

No details have been revealed.

From an article:

Osage Beach police believe there was an "accidental discharge" of a firearm in Walmart Tuesday evening. According to a spokeswoman, the Walmart corporate office is working alongside Osage Beach police to further review surveillance footage and there is no cause for alarm.

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Gunman robs, kidnaps, and carjacks shopper at Florida Walmart store

Occurred January 21, 2015.


A woman had just gotten back to her car with her groceries, at a Walmart store in Lynn Haven, Florida, when a man pulled out a gun and robbed her.  He then kidnapped her in her own car, forced her to withdraw money at a local bank, then brought her back to the Walmart before fleeing.

He has since been arrested.

From an article and news video:

Authorities say numerous callers identified the man as 56-year-old Timothy Keller.
Keller is facing armed robbery, armed carjacking and kidnapping charges.
--------------------
Lynn Haven Police are searching for a suspect in an armed robbery.

It happened around noon Tuesday in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Lynn Haven.

Police say a female victim was putting groceries in her car when the suspect demanded cash and robbed her at gunpoint.

The suspect forced the victim to drive to a bank and withdraw more money. He drove her back to the Wal-Mart, where police say he may have gotten into an older model red truck, with unknown plates.

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Man injured in shooting at Missouri Walmart store

Occurred January 19, 2015.

Scene of shooting at St. Joseph Walmart (source)

Two men got into an argument in the parking lot of a Walmart store in St. Joseph, Missouri, when one of them pulled out a gun and shot the other, then fled.

From an article:

“Apparently, two white males got into an altercation here by the north doors and one of them did fire a weapon at another one,” Capt. Richard Eaton said. The victim was struck in the upper torso and was transported to Mosaic Life Care by a personal vehicle. Police didn’t know if the injuries were life-threatening, but Mr. Eaton said the injuries appeared to be serious.

According to another article and news video, a 56-year old man was arrested for the shooting, and the victim is a 29-year old man shot in the torso.

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Man shot to death at New Mexico Walmart store

Occurred January 19, 2015.

Scene of fatal shooting at Albuquerque Walmart (source)

21-year old Angelo Martinez was leaving a Walmart store in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when he met a group of people entering the store.  An argument broke out between the groups, then someone in the group pulled out a gun and fired shots, hitting several cars in the parking lot and hitting Martinez.  Martinez later died from the wounds.

From an article:

Police say the 21-year-old was gunned down around 9 p.m. in a busy Walmart parking lot near Coors and Interstate 40 on Sunday. He died at the hospital.

Police were called to the Walmart at 2550 Coors NW after receiving calls about a fight.

While they were en route, callers reported that shots were fired and someone was hit.

Police haven’t said if the shooting happened inside or outside the store, but the victim’s father, Melvin Martinez, said witnesses told him the fight was in the doorway of the store. Angelo Martinez was walking in while another group was walking out and words were exchanged, Melvin Martinez said. The other group knocked off Angelo Martinez’s hat, then punches were thrown and someone shot him.

Melvin Martinez said the witnesses he talked to didn’t know if the two groups knew each other or if it was a random interaction. ....

There was still blood on the Walmart parking lot’s asphalt Monday morning and employees had blocked four parking spots with caution tape while they tried to get it cleaned up. A Walmart employee said two people came into the store Monday because their cars had been hit by bullets and they were trying to get reimbursed for the damage.

Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Tanner Tixier said nobody in the parking lot or store had a description of the suspect to give to police.

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Argument leads to shootout at Alabama Walmart, with two people injured

Occurred January 14, 2015.

Scene of shooting at Montgomery Walmart (source)

An argument between two men inside of a Walmart store in Montgomery, Alabama, was taken outside into the parking lot, at which time the two men pulled out guns and began shooting at each other.  Several cars were hit.  A little girl was almost hit.

A female bystander was shot in the back with a non-life-threatening injury.

The shooting ended when one of the men, 21-year-old Carlton Webb, was injured with a life-threatening wound.  He was later upgraded to stable before being released and charged.

From an article:

Webb was arrested and charged Monday after being released from an area hospital, authorities say. He was recovering from a gunshot wound sustained in the incident. Court documents indicate Webb was released on $45,000 bond.

Police say an uninvolved adult female who was in her vehicle during the dispute sustained a non-life-threatening injury. ....

Montgomery Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Martha Earnhardt says the shooting happened after a dispute inside the store that involved several people. The fight was carried out into the parking lot where the shooting took place.

Stunned shoppers stood with their carts and bags as police cars filled the parking lot and a large crime scene area was roped off. 

For Anna Leonard, an expectant mother, her trip to pick up some groceries at the store Wednesday evening turned into a scary ordeal.

“I have my 3-year-old with me and I'm due Tuesday," Leonard explained. "Who wants to be going through all of this? It's just crazy. I've never been through anything like this,” she said.

Shantana Jones says many customers ran for cover when they heard the gunfire out in the front parking lot. She believed the female victim was walking out to her car and was caught in the crossfire.

“Two guys were shooting and she ended up getting shot in the back in the process,” Jones said. “There was a lot of people in the back of the store. We were still walking around because I didn't know what was going on so then they came on the intercom and told everyone to go to the back of the store.”

As gunfire erupted in the parking lot, John Parks' granddaughter was waiting for him in the car when it was hit by a bullet. Windows on other vehicles in the parking lot appeared to have been shattered in the melee.

“She was sitting in the back seat and the back glass, the door, got shot out right beside her. Luckily, the bullet didn't hit her. The glass was completely out and she was all nervous and upset,” Parks said.

This is not the first shooting at this Walmart.  Last October, a shoplifter shot a police officer at that store and was captured after a long manhunt.

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Shoplifter threatens California Walmart employees with a gun

Occurred January 13, 2015.


A man attempted to shoplift a large number of items from a Walmart store in Clovis, California, when loss prevention employees tried to stop him.  The man then threatened them with a handgun and fled with the help of an accomplice.  Luckily, no one was injured.

From an article:

Clovis police are searching for two suspects who stole $800 worth of merchandise at gunpoint Tuesday night from the Walmart located at 323 West Shaw Ave.

Sgt. Lonnie Amerjan said that one of the men entered the Walmart just before 5:30 p.m. and began to load a shopping cart with expensive items from different areas of the store.

Loss prevention officers grew suspicious of the man and stopped him as he tried to leave.

The man then drew what was described as a black, semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at the two loss prevention personnel, who allowed him to pass with the cart.

The man then pushed the cart out to a small, silver compact car with paper license plates driven by an unknown person. He loaded the stolen goods, and the car exited the shopping center onto westbound Shaw Avenue.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/01/13/4329229_police-investigating-armed-robbery.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

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Conceal carry permit holder unintentionally shoots self in Tennessee Walmart

Occurred January 13, 2015.


A man who was legally carrying a concealed handgun unintentionally shot himself while in a Walmart store in Athens, Tennessee. 

Luckily, this time, the wound was not serious and no one else was injured.  No charges were pressed.

From an article:

At around 1 p.m. Monday, an unidentified man was going through the men's clothing department at Walmart when he decided to reach for a handkerchief in his pocket. When he did, a gun in that pocket went off and the bullet cut through his leg.

The man was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center to be treated for his injury.

No charges will be brought as authorities with the Athens Police Department deemed the shooting accidental. Also, the man was carrying the weapon legally.

Walmart allows the carrying of concealed handguns in its stores.

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Gunman robs Walmart Neighborhood Market in Connecticut

Occurred January 10, 2015.


A man with a handgun entered a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Bristol, Connecticut, and fled with money.

From an article:

A man armed with a handgun robbed the Walmart Neighborhood Market Saturday and made off with an undetermined amount of cash, police said. No injuries were reported.

Police said the robber entered the store at 325 Oakland St. about 5:30 p.m., and approached a clerk. He displayed the gun and demanded money, police said.

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Walmart stores see an increase in shootings for at least the third year in a row

Shootings at Walmart stores have increased for at least the third year in a row.

Here at the Walmart Shootings blog, I have dutifully chronicled every media report of gun crimes committed at Walmart properties.  In 2014, there were at least 92 shooting incidents, leaving 16 people dead and 42 injured.  This is up from 2013, where there were 83 shootings, leaving 24 killed and 42 injured -- an increase of over 10%.  In 2012, there were "only" 53 shootings.

There are entire countries that have fewer shootings than just Walmart stores in America!

Of course, these represent only those shooting incidents which were reported to the police, then reported by the media in a way that it was caught by Google Alerts or to friends who alerted me.  Likely there were some that slipped through.

See the graph, to the right, which shows the shooting reports in a cumulative fashion over the course of all three years.

But there were also plenty of gun crimes where shots weren't fired.  There were 78 armed robberies and shopliftings by gunmen at Walmart properties.  Gunmen threatened shoppers and employees with guns, carjacked shoppers, and had accidents with their guns.

Walmart remains the largest retail seller of civilian guns in the world.  But in at least 19 incidents this year, guns were stolen from their display cases at Walmart stores, including assault rifles, like this case in Memphis where nine assault rifles were stolen, or this case in Tennessee where six assault rifles and another gun were stolen.

Walmart continues to allow customers to carry concealed or openly-displayed guns in their stores.  Does this make customers and employees safer?  Not at all.  In 2014, people with conceal carry permits caused 11 incidents, including many shootings of themselves and others, including the most recent case of a very pro-gun mother who allowed her two year old to get into her special gun-purse and fire the unsecured weapon, killing the mother in front of the toddler and three of her other children. 

There were four cases ruled as self-defense at Walmart stores.  But before the gun guys jump on these as evidence of making us "safer," consider that one of these cases was during an illegal drug sale. Another was by a man who got into an argument and shot the unarmed victim as he walked to the car, fearing that the other man was going for a gun.  He got off by using Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law, which only requires a person to claim they were afraid.  In a third case, the victim was also unarmed, and the two men had gotten into a fight, and the shooter had continued the confrontation prior to shooting the other man.  Only one case involved a man who was simply minding his own business and shot at an armed robber, after the robber was fleeing.

And it's not just Walmart shoppers who are endangered, threatened, and killed by gunmen at their stores.  Walmart employees have been the victims of incidents in at least 14 incidents in 2014, plus many other robberies.  In at least three incidents, Walmart employees were the suspects in shootings!

Where are Walmart's priorities?  Is it gun sales?  Or is it the protection of their shoppers and employees?  Clearly, they aren't interested in the safety of those who are in their stores!

Walmart bans all sorts of things in their stores that they deem "dangerous," including pregnant Barbie dolls, CDs with unwanted lyrics, and various books.  They stopped allowing paring knives in their bakeries after a single incident.  This Christmas, they even kicked out some high schoolers who were caroling in the store!  But Walmart has no problem continuing to sell guns, including five different models of assault rifles, and allowing people to carry guns through their stores.

Perhaps thinking about all of this, one sensitive Walmart employee refused to process a wedding photo for a couple posing with their shotgun.  Oh, never mind....  A Walmart spokesman quickly told media that the employee had been "misinformed."

With so many shootings and other gun crimes at their stores, it's not surprising they are trying to hide it from stockholders, refusing to bring up the issue in any official manner or at stockholder meetings.  We wouldn't want to allow blood on the store floors to distract from gun profits, would we?  Little wonder, then, that a major stockholder had to sue Walmart for the right to bring up the gun issue at stockholder meetings.  If the deaths of shoppers and employees aren't enough to convince the Waltons to change their pro-gun policies, perhaps money will?

This is why Walmart's motto "Save money. Live better" isn't appropriate.  Instead, it should be.....

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Shoplifter threatens Walmart security guard with gun in Philadelphia

Occurred January 10, 2015.


A man went into a Walmart store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and shoplifted a 50" TV.  When security confronted him, he threatened them with a gun, then fled.

From an article:

In a brazen armed robbery, a suspect walked into a 24-hour Wal-Mart located at 1675 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. in the city's Pennsport neighborhood around 1:55 a.m., grabbed a 50-inch television and headed for the exit, police said.

A store security guard stopped the suspect before he left the store, which is just north of Pier 70,  but the man pulled back his shirt to reveal a weapon tucked into his waistband -- all while other shoppers were nearby, authorities said.

The suspect then fled the store in an unknown direction.

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Man shot and injured in homicide attempt at Philadelphia Walmart store

Occurred January 9, 2015.

Scene of shooting at Philadelphia Walmart (screenshot source)

A man and his brother had arranged to meet another person in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  When the other person arrived, he exited his car, walked to the passenger side of the waiting men, and opened fire, hitting the passenger multiple times in the chest, arm, and leg, before fleeing.

From an article and news video:

The 26-year-old victim was shot about 75 feet from the front door of the Walmart. The store was open at the time, and police say it's lucky there weren't more injuries.

"When the shooting took place, this Walmart was open for business," said Chief Inspector Scott Small. "There were customer cars in the parking lot, there were several customers in the Walmart, there were about 20 employees in the Walmart."

"We're very fortunate there was no one else injured and no one was struck by stray gunfire," Small continued.

Small said the shooting was recorded by store surveillance cameras.

He said it shows the gunman getting out of the driver's side of his vehicle and walking to the passenger side of another car, where the victim was sitting.

"Somehow the door opened on the victim's vehicle - the passenger front door - and shots were fired," Small said. "You can see the flash of the weapon and the shots being fired and then the victim's vehicle fleeing the scene."

Investigators say the victim had arranged to meet a person who may have owed him some money.

Because this was a pre-arranged meeting, and because it was all caught on surveillance video, police are pretty confident they know who they're looking for.

The victim had been shot in the chest, arm, and leg.

Police say the victim's vehicle was being driven by his brother, who drove the victim to Holy Redeemer Hospital in Abington Township after the shooting.

That's where police first learned of the shooting, after hospital workers alerted police about a gunshot victim.

The victim was later transferred to Temple University Hospital in guarded condition.

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Man threatens Walmart security with handgun in Florida

Occurred January 6, 2015.


54-year old Stephen Bruno was seen putting a set of bed sheets into his cart at a Walmart store in Ocala, Florida.  Loss prevention employees followed him as his shoplifted them out of the store to his vehicle in the parking lot.  When they confronted Bruno, the man showed them a handgun he had tucked into his waist, with his hand on the weapon.  The employees then backed away and he pushed the cart with the sheets at them, then drove away.

After his later arrest, Bruno claimed that he had been replacing the sheets with others and didn't want to wait in the customer service line, and that he "the wind" had inadvertently exposed his gun.

From an article:

Two loss prevention officers at the store at 2600 SE 19th Ave. Road, Ocala, told Ocala police officer Andrew Ritz on Tuesday they saw a man with a receipt in his hand pick up a tan sheet set and place it in a cart, which contained other items. He pushed the cart to customer service and waited about a minute and left the store with the sheet set, which they thought he taken without paying for it, a report states.

Store officials followed the man, Stephen Bruno, 54, outside and identified themselves as loss prevention officers and asked him to come inside. They said Bruno ignored them and began loading items from the shopping cart into a green Honda minivan, the report notes.

They said they insisted Bruno accompany them inside and he pulled his shirt back and they could see a firearm in his waistband. They said he put his hand over the firearm and told them he was not going with them and threw the sheet set into the shopping cart and pushed it toward them, the report states.

Fearing Bruno might use the weapon, the loss prevention officers said, they left the parking lot and he got into the vehicle and drove away. ....

Bruno said the wind was blowing his shirt around so he held his shirt down next to the firearm. He said he wasn’t sure if his hand was over his firearm or not, but he did tell them he was not going inside.

Bruno was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, from which he has since been released on $60,000 bond.

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Walmart employee shot to death in his car at Chicago Walmart

Occurred January 8, 2015.

Scene of fatal shooting at Chicago Walmart (source)

(UPDATED -- See below)

A male employee of a Walmart store in Chicago, Illinois, was found shot several times in his car, in the parking lot.  No suspect has yet been caught.

From an article:

Police are investigating a fatal shooting in the parking lot of a Walmart in Bedford Park, near the border with Chicago.

Bedford Park police said they responded to a 911 call and found an unresponsive male shot several times in the front seat of a vehicle. A Walmart spokesperson said the victim is a Walmart associate.

The victim was taken to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, where he died.

The parking lot is cordoned off, but the Walmart at 7050 S. Cicero remains open.

Bedford Park police and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force are investigating. There is no suspect in custody.

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UPDATE (1/10/15):   The victim has been identified as Stephen Sims, age 20.

UPDATE (3/15/15):  The victim, Stephen Sims, had previously lost his mother, 5 year old stepbrother, and stepmother in two other incidents of gun violence.  From an article:

In 1998, Stephen Sims, 20, lost his mother to gun violence in Roseland. In 2013, he lost his 5-year-old brother, Sterling, and his stepmother to an armed robbery after the family refused to hand over their belongings.

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Kansas Walmart robbed by gunman

Occurred January 4, 2015.

(source)

A man entered the Walmart store in Westwood, Kansas, presented a gun, and robbed money from a checker before fleeing.

From an article:

Westwood police say the suspect was armed when he robbed the store at 4701 Mission Road about 6 a.m. Sunday.

Officers said the man made a small purchase and demanded money with a gun. No one was hurt, but the man did get away with cash. 

He left the scene in a small, silver SUV.

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Guns stolen from Arkansas Walmart on day after Christmas

Occurred December 26, 2014.

Scene of stolen guns at Helena Walmart (source)

On the day after Christmas, thieves entered the Walmart store in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas (Walmart's home state), while the store was closed for business.  There they smashed a display case with a hammer and stole four guns, as well as some electronic goods, and fled.

The article does not state what kind of guns were stolen.  Walmart sells assault rifles and hunting rifles.

From an article and news video:

Police report several guns were taken as well as a number of iPods, iPads and iPhones.

The store, on Shelia Street in Helena-West Helena,  is usually opened 24-hours but it was closed Christmas and wasn’t scheduled to re-open till 9 a.m. the following day.

It’s believed the break-in happened just after 2:00 a.m. on the 26th.

Eli Moore, who shops at the Walmart regularly, is very concerned even though the burglary happened while the store was closed.

“I come out here and shop at Walmart all the time, you know. My wife told me, ‘you don’t need to go out there at night.’ So, with this happening here it’s got me scared to come out here now,” said Eli Moore.

According to Helena-West Helena Police, a glass display case in the sporting goods section was smashed and four guns were taken.

In the electronics section two cases were broken, and police reportedly found a hammer and drops of blood near the shattered glass.

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Woman threatens Walmart shopper with gun in Tennessee

Occurred December 29, 2014.


A man was shopping at a Walmart store in Maryville, Tennessee, when he had an argument with a female shopper who accused him of intentionally bumping into her daughter.  The man continued shopping, but upon leaving the store, the woman drove up to him, brandished a handgun, and threatened him with it before fleeing.

From an article:

The 33-year-old man told police that he became embroiled in an argument with another patron near the general merchandise entrance of the store.

He described the person with whom he quarreled as “a short blond woman with a tattoo somewhere on the left side of her body.” He said the woman accused him of intentionally bumping into one of her daughters.

A Walmart employee overheard a portion of the exchange, and told police she heard the tattooed woman yell, “Let’s take it outside,” at the man.

After the quarrel, the man returned to his shopping errand with his female friend. They were soon joined by one of her family members, who served as a witness to the rest of the evening’s events.

Upon departing the store, the trio were approached by the tattooed woman once again. This time, she drove up in a black Toyota RG4 SUV (license plate: M75 82B), according to reports, and brandished a handgun in the direction of her perceived nemeses.

Witnesses said the woman yelled at the threesome as she wielded the gun, “I don’t call the cops; I take care of my own problems!” And with that, she drove away, reports said.

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Man robbed at gunpoint of expensive diamond ring at North Carolina Walmart

Occurred December 30, 2014.


A man had arranged on Craigslist to sell a very expensive diamond ring and meet the buyers in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Spring Lake, North Carolina.  He was waiting for them in the parking lot when two men arrived and robbed him of the ring, at gunpoint, then fled.

One of the robbers, Patrick Dewayne Flanagan, 19, who is also a felon, was captured, along with the ring and a 9mm handgun.  The other robber, Tony D.L. Adams, 20, is still on the run.

From an article:

The holdup occurred in the parking lot of the Spring Lake Walmart around 1:15 p.m. Monday. Authorities said the victim agreed to meet two other men to sell a diamond engagement ring, valued around $3,200.

As the man waited for the pair to show up, police say Patrick Dewayne Flanagan, 19, opened the passenger door, held the man at gunpoint and took off with the ring.

Police said the driver, 20-year-old Tony DL Adams, dropped Flanagan off prior to the meeting. Adams drove away in a gold Ford car.

Police found Flanagan nearby, off Pinetree Lane. They said they recovered the ring and a 9mm handgun from him. Flanagan was arrested and charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $75,000 bond.

Police are still searching for Adams, who is a person of interest in several other recent Spring Lake robberies, including another Craigslist meet up that occurred on Friday afternoon along Main Street. Adams is also facing robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy charges.

Spring Lake Police Chief Troy McDuffie reminded residents to use caution in performing online transactions. Although the victim met the suspects in a public area, during daylight hours, there are some other precautions to take, said McDuffie.

"It's probably also good to bring somebody with you and always watch your surroundings," he said. "I think this particular person was sitting in his vehicle waiting for someone to show up and before he knows it, the person opens up the door and holds him at gunpoint. So you have to watch your surroundings."

You might also want to avoid Walmart stores.

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Gunman robs Walmart in North Carolina

Occurred December 30, 2014.


A man entered a Walmart store in Greensboro, North Carolina, armed with a gun, and robbed the money center there, then fled.

Luckily, no one was harmed.

From an article:

A man walked into the business, located at 121 W. Elmsley St., about 11:20 a.m. today armed with a gun and handed a note to an employee, said Susan Danielsen, police spokeswoman.

The man got an undisclosed amount of money and fled through the grocery side of the store, she said.

Since 2013, Greensboro has seen two other armed robberies by gunmen at Walmart stores.  See HERE and HERE.

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