TV shoplifters threaten Walmart employee with gun in Indiana

Occurred November 27, 2014.


Two men were seen stealing a TV from a Walmart store in Indianapolis, Indiana.  When a door greeter confronted the men, they pulled a gun on him and threatened him with it before fleeing.

From an article:

According to police, two men skipped the cash register and walked out with an $800 television. When confronted by the Wal-Mart greeters, one of the suspects pulled out a gun. The two men then made a dash to a dark-colored SUV.

Wal-Mart released photos of the suspects.

Many shoppers had no knowledge of the armed robbery inside the store as they did their last minute Thanksgiving day shopping.

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Indiana man robs Walmart shoppers at gunpoint

Occurred February 6, 2014.


Two men needed a ride at a Walmart Supercenter in Pekin, Indiana, and approached Seanquarius "Mud" Ewing for a ride.  He accepted, walked them to his car, and then pulled out a gun, robbing the two men of their money.  He let the victims go without harming them, then walked into the Walmart again.

When he came out, the police, who had been alerted by the victims, arrested Ewing.

From an article:

The two men Ewing robbed Feb. 6 in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter in East Peoria knew him by his nickname, “Mud.” They trusted him enough to accept his offer of a ride home after they left the store.

The three walked to Ewing’s sports utility vehicle, where the victims accepted his invitation to sit in the back while he climbed into the front passenger seat, according to a prosecutor’s court affidavit. The men then chatted for a minute before Ewing opened the glove compartment.

He pulled out a handgun, pointed it at the men’s faces and said, “Give me everything,” the affidavit stated. One man handed over about $250 and the other gave him a $20 bill, the affidavit stated.

Ewing checked their pockets for anything they were holding back, put the handgun back in the glove box, got out and opened the vehicle’s rear door to let the men leave unharmed, but with a warning that he would “shoot up their house” if they reported the crime to police.

That didn’t frighten the victims enough to stop them from walking to a nearby gas station, where they summoned the law, the affidavit stated.

Officers arrived quickly to find Ewing’s SUV still parked in the lot.

Ewing, they learned, had gone back into the store.

More officers arrived to establish a perimeter around the store and waited for Ewing to emerge. They closed in quickly when he left and re-entered his vehicle, again on the passenger side, the affidavit stated.

The officers recovered the handgun in the glove box and found $262 in cash on the seat next to Ewing. When questioned, he acknowledged the weapon was his and that he had used it to rob the two men, the affidavit stated.

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Drunk man threatens to shoot people inside Indiana Walmart

Occurred September 20, 2014.


A drunk man attempted to purchase a gun inside a Walmart in Portage Township, Indiana.  When he was refused, he threatened to shoot employees at the bank in the store. 

The man was not arrested.  He was banned from the premises and was driven home by a sober friend.

From an article:

According to the report, an employee said she was told two men entered the store and threatened to shoot people inside because they were unable to purchase a gun.

After speaking with an employee, the report states the two men tried to start a bank account at the store. The manager told officers the man trying to open the account was highly intoxicated and struggled to keep his head up.

The report stated the man became enraged and the bank manager asked him to leave. He told police he was unaware of the threat to shoot people in the store.

The man signed a form banning him from entering Walmart.

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Conceal carry gun owner drops gun and shoots woman in Indiana Walmart

Occurred May 24, 2014.


A woman was shopping in a Walmart store in Columbus, Indiana, when a man with a legally concealed handgun and permit, Tony Ward, dropped his gun.  The gun discharged and hit the woman in the arm.  

Luckily, the newborn child in her cart was not injured.

A police chief was in the Walmart store and responded to the shooting when he heard it.  Remarkably, Ward was not charged in the shooting.

From an article:

Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde was at the store at about 8 p.m. Saturday night when he heard a gunshot. Rohde told The Republic that 56-year-old Tony E. Ward of Columbus had been carrying a .22 pistol in a holster on his waistband. The gun fell from his waist and discharged.

The bullet went through a soda bottle in a cart and struck the right arm of 26-year-old Virginia Thompson, who was pushing her newborn baby when the gun went off. The bullet hit the outside of Thompson's arm and after treatment by paramedics she declined to be taken to the hospital.

Rohde told the paper that Ward had a permit for the handgun and Ward was not arrested.

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Conceal carry gun owner unintentionally shoots self in Indiana Walmart

Occurred June 15, 2014.


A man with a legal conceal carried handgun was in the checkout at a Walmart store in Jasper, Indiana, when he unintentionally fired the gun, injuring his leg.

Luckily, the injury was mild and no one else was injured.

From an article:

Kenneth D. Pirtle, 65, Dale, told police he was carrying the .40 caliber handgun in his front pocket and it had discharged when he reached into the pocket to retrieve something. The bullet exited Pirtle’s pant leg and struck the vinyl/concrete floor in the store causing it to ricochet up and become lodged in a wall.

No one was struck by the round.

Pirtle suffered minor injuries to his leg from the discharge but refused medical treatment. He was charged with criminal recklessness with a firearm.

According to police, Pirtle had other items in his pocket that may have played a factor in the handgun accidentally discharging.

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Guns stolen from two different Indiana Walmart stores

Occurred around May 10, 2014.


Guns were recently stolen from two different Indiana Walmart stores, in Clarksville and LaGrange.

From an article:

The most recent incident happened at a store in Clarksville, Indiana on Thursday. A Walmart spokeswoman says two guns were stolen late at night, but police did arrest those responsible and recovered the guns.

A similar incident happened recently at the LaGrange Walmart. The company says it has notified other stores in the area to take precautions, to make sure guns are secure.

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Man shot during transaction outside of Indiana Walmart

Occurred June 30, 2014.

Scene of shooting at Beech Grove Walmart (source)

A man, Jacob Faulkner, 22, and his friend met two other men they didn't know, in a Walmart parking lot in Beech Grove, Indiana, with the intention of selling cell phones.

At some point the buyers decided to "fire indiscriminantly," hitting one of the Faulkner in the chest and arm and then fled the scene, stealing Faulkner's truck as they did so.

From an article:

According to police, the suspects got into the back of the victims' pickup truck, a 2008 black Chevy Silverado. It was Faulkner's pickup although he was not driving. Something happened during the transaction that ended with the suspect firing indiscriminately, according to police.  

Police aren't sure if Faulkner was in or out of the car when he was shot, but he and Witter were able to run to safety. The shooter and another suspect drove off in Faulkner's pickup.  

"They did meet here in the lot and there may have been an exchange inside a black Chevy Silverado where they were going to exchange the money for the cell phones," said Beech Grove Police Maj. Tom Hurrle. "So the truck we're looking for may have bullet holes inside it, as well." 

Police have not recovered the stolen vehicle and at this point they don't have a description of the suspects. 

"I see the guy just firing shots wildly and, at that point, I just ran in the door," said witness Cory Brooks. 

Police say one suspect took off in that truck, the seller's black 2008 Chevy Silverado pick-up, with Indiana license plate TK675MCA. The truck also had two rifles and two pistols belonging to the victims when it was stolen. The other suspect fled in their own black Chevy Malibu. 

"I see him run about 10 feet in front of me. I am still walking in and he's on the other side of the door, just winging shots at him. I don't know what's wrong with people these days," said Brooks.

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Gunman attempts to rob taxi in parking lot of Indiana Walmart

Occurred February 20, 2014.


A man with a gun attempted to rob a taxi, in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Avon, Indiana, but was caught soon after.

From an article:

Police officials say a person was taken into custody after trying to rob a taxi cab driver at gunpoint.

The incident occurred at the Walmart in Avon.

When police arrived at the scene, the suspect ran towards the Avon Village Trailer Park, located across from the Walmart. Officials say a perimeter was set up in that area. The suspect was later found, with the weapon, hiding under a trailer.

Is this the same Walmart in Avon where a violent kidnapping and sexual assault occurred a couple weeks earlier?

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Elderly Walmart employee in Indiana robbed at gunpoint in parking lot

Occurred January 27, 2014.


An elderly worker at a Walmart store in Elkhart, Indiana, was robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot.

From an article:

On January 27th 2014 at approximately 8:00pm, a 75 yr old employee of Wal-Mart 175 CR6W Elkhart was robbed at gunpoint after leaving for home. This occurred in the parking lot. Taken in the armed robbery was the victim’s wallet containing cash and credit cards. 

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Woman threatens Walmart employee with gun and pistol whips her

Occurred November, 2013.


Santeri S. Hill, 23, was caught stealing at a Walmart in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  She then came back to the store, threatened an employee with a gun, then beat her in the head with the pistol.

She has now been given a 2-year sentence for the crime.

From an article:

Santeri S. Hill, 23, of the 3700 block of Trace Way, pleaded guilty in February to battery resulting in injury. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, an additional charge of armed robbery was dismissed, according to court documents.

On Friday, Allen Superior Court Judge John Surbeck sentenced Hill to a total of six years on the charge but ordered four years suspended and two years to be served on probation.

In late November, Hill was caught stealing by an employee at a Wal-Mart. She left the store and returned with a gun.

After she came back inside, she threatened to shoot the employee and struck her on the head multiple times with the handgun, according to court documents.

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Indiana robber threatens to shoot, then pistol-whips, Walmart employee in store

Occurred November, 2013.


Last November, 23-year-old Santeri S. Hill was caught stealing at a Walmart store in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  She left, and then returned with a gun, threatening to shoot an employee and then pistol whipping the employee.  Hill was later arrested.

Hill has now pleaded guilty to the charges.

From an article:

When she was confronted by a store employee in late November after being caught stealing, 23-year-old Santeri S. Hill left a Wal-Mart store and returned with a gun. 

After she came back inside, she threatened to shoot the employee and struck her on the head multiple times with the handgun, according to court documents. 

On Friday, Hill, of the 3700 block of Trace Way, pleaded guilty to Class C felony battery. There is no specific prison sentence outlined in court documents. 

A more serious charge of robbery will be dismissed if a judge accepts the plea agreement when Hill is sentenced in early March.

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Violent kidnapping at gunpoint and sexual assault starting at a Walmart in Indiana

Occurred February 6, 2014.


A female shopper returned to her car in the parking lot of a Walmart when a man, Michael Parrish, held a gun to her and forced her, along with another woman in the car and a 3-year old child, to another parking lot, where he raped both women.  He then made them drive to an apartment where another victim, a man, was tied up and he robbed the place.

Parrish has now been arrested.

From an article:

A woman told police she was returning her cart in the parking lot of the Avon Walmart Thursday night when she noticed a man talking on a cell phone. She told police he seemed agitated and was using profanity. 

According to police, the man followed the woman back to her car, then forced her at gunpoint to drive him from the Avon Walmart to a nearby apartment complex parking lot, where he sexually assaulted both women in the car with a young child in the backseat. The man threatened to kill the child if they did not comply. 

"Not only was this a crime in front of a child, but they are victim as well. It's something that this three-year-old is going to have to receive counseling for," said Avon Police Det. Sean Stoops. 

The victims were then forced to drive to their home in Clermont. That's where investigators say he tied up the women and a male roommate, then ransacked their home. 

The suspect fled with the victim's car, a 1998 green Chevy Blazer, along with laptops, a flat screen and cell phones. He told the women not to call police for two hours or they would be shot in the head, and that he had someone watching them from across the street. 

"They still have to live this terrible, terrible nightmare every second of the day now," Stoops said. 

Parrish was released from prison in the last year and a half after being sentenced for robbery when he was about 16 years old.

Parrish is also a suspect in other crimes.

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Attempted armored truck robbery results in shooting at Indiana Walmart

Occurred December 22, 2013.

Scene of shooting at Indianapolis Walmart (source)

(UPDATED -- See below)

A man attempted to rob a Brinks armored truck security guard in front of a Walmart store in Indianapolis, Indiana.  But the security guard pulled his gun and shot the suspect.

The suspect, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was injured.

From an article:

The robber, who has not been identified, was shot several times and was injured but was wearing a bullet-proof vest, police said. He was in serious condition. The guard was not seriously hurt. 

The shooting happened outside a Walmart at 7245 S. U.S. 31, at about 4:30 p.m., when the guard was hauling a bag of cash from the store to his armored truck, said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Officer Christopher Wilburn. 

The suspect approached the guard near the truck, shot pepper spray into his eyes and tried to grab the bag of cash. But the guard struggled with the man, managed to pull out his gun and shot the suspect, Wilburn said. 

Dozens of people saw the daylight robbery attempt After the robber was shot he tried to run away and was tackled by a citizen and an off-duty officer, Wilburn said.

This is the scene of another incident, another attempted robbery using a gun, just days before!

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UPDATE (12/26/13):  According to another article, an armed bystander with a .22-caliber handgun chased the suspect after the initial shooting, and even tried to shoot the suspect, failed, then tackled the suspect and held him at gunpoint.  From the article:

A 37-year-old Indianapolis father with a .22-caliber handgun chased down the already-wounded suspect, slammed him to the ground and stuck a gun to his head until police arrived.

"Don't resist or move unless you want your brains splattered all over the pavement," the citizen, whose name is Jeff, told the suspect. ....

Jeff told The Star that he not only tackled Jackson but tried to shoot him seconds before. Jeff chased Jackson until he was five to 10 yards behind him. Jeff stopped, raised the .22 and squeezed the trigger.

The gun didn't fire. The safety was on.

"He most likely would have been dead," Jeff said. "But I'm glad no one was hurt."

Law enforcement officials and policing experts said that although Jeff helped apprehend a suspect in a violent crime, he put the public in danger.

"If you pull a weapon in a crowded place you need to be highly trained in how to use it," said Jim White, a former Indiana state police officer who is a senior lecturer at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis' School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

"There are just so many things that can wrong. Police and soldiers go through thousands of hours of training for this, and it is still the riskiest thing they will encounter on the job."

.

Security guard attacked by gunman in Indiana Walmart parking lot

December 19, 2013.


A 70-year old security guard, in uniform, was getting into his car in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Indianapolis, Indiana, during daytime, when he was attacked by a man wielding a gun.  The two fought each other.  The attacker then fled, but was later arrested.

Luckily, no one was injured.

According to the article, the gun may have been a realistic-looking BB gun.

From an article:

Doyle Robling has had some close calls in his life, but nothing like his run-in with a gunman Thursday afternoon. As he closed his car door leaving Walmart on US 31 South, someone suddenly pulled his car door open. 

"He got down real low here and he yanked it open and had a gun and then we got in a scuffle," Robling said. 

Even after explaining he had no cash, Robling feared getting shot. Despite the gun, he continued the scuffle with his attacker, just a few feet from Walmart's front door. 

"Broad daylight, fifth parking spot from the main entrance to the grocery store," Robling said. 

In the midst of the struggle, Robling's driver's side window got shattered and has since been repaired. He says eventually, the attacker jumped into a car and sped away. 

But one eyewitness led police to 43-year-old Anthony Spencer, because she wrote down the license plate. 

Robling says what surprised him is not only did it happen in broad daylight, but right in front of other shoppers. 

"The one lady saw me put my stuff in the car and she was sitting there waiting to take my parking spot," he said. 

Since Robling was attacked wearing his security guard uniform, he says that's reason enough to warn other shoppers not to let their guard down.

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Shooting wounds one in Indiana Walmart parking lot

Occurred May 19, 2013.

Scene of shooting at Hammond Walmart

There has been a shooting in the parking lot of a Walmart Supercenter in Hammond, Indiana, following a vehicular crash involving three cars.  Multiple shots were fired, injuring one woman.

The Walmart never closed.

From an article:

The shooting happened in the store's parking lot at 1100 Fifth Ave. about 2:37 p.m. following a crash, police said. It was unclear if the motorists knew each other. 

A 22-year-old woman was grazed by a bullet and has non-life-threatening injuries, Hammond police Lt. Richard Hoyda said. Another unidentified person was treated at a local hospital for injuries suffered in the crash. 

Hoyda said officers found multiple shell casings on the ground.  

Officers were on the scene sorting out the details of how the shooting unfolded, Hoyda said Sunday afternoon. It appears one of the vehicles drove off toward Chicago. 

No arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon. 

An employee of the store said the Walmart Supercenter remains open while police continue investigating the shooting.

(a related article)

In December of 2009, there was another shooting at a Walmart in Hammond (maybe the same Walmart?), where two suspects shot and murdered a man in his van, in the parking lot.

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Man shot in the back while fleeing into Indiana Walmart

Occurred May 6, 2013.

Scene of shooting at Evansville Walmart

(Updated -- see below)
Two men, 24-year old Isaiah Green and 30-year old Anthony Tavon Burns got into an altercation, which ended in the parking lot of a Walmart in Evansville, Indiana.  When Green went to his car and retrieved a gun, Burns tried to flee into the Walmart but was shot in the lower back, from behind.

An off-duty police officer, who had been in a check-out lane, responded to help Burns.  Green was later arrested at a nearby apartment complex.

Burns was taken to a local hospital and will apparently live.

From an article:

Cullum says the victim, Anthony Tavon Burns, 30, attempted to get away from the suspect by going inside the store at the Market entrance, but he was shot in the back as he was running. 

Burns was taken to Deaconess Hospital. His condition is not being released.
Officers say Green and another person left in a vehicle soon after the shooting. 

There was an officer shopping at the checkout who heard the commotion and went outside to secure the crime scene and get information on the vehicles. 

Another officer located the getaway vehicle in the Arbors at Eastland on Old Boonville Highway. That's where Green was taken into custody. 

Investigators say he went to an apartment early Monday morning to drop off some belongings. 

Cullum tells 14 News that police have heard two different stories of how it all started last night. The woman in the are with Burns told that Green's car cut them off on the Lloyd and followed them to Walmart, while he says Green told police that the altercation began after Burns stole money from him earlier in the day.   

Cullum says police believe the suspect and victim did know each other prior to the shooting. 

"We're not sure really which version is true, whether it was just a road rage or a robbery, but at this point, it doesn't really matter because the way the incident unfolded at the Walmart, there was no justification for what Mr. Green did. So, he's going to face the same charges regardless of how it all started," Cullum says. 

Green is now in the Vanderburgh County Jail on no bond, facing charges of attempted murder with a firearm and criminal recklessness.

HERE is security camera footage.

A related article, with eyewitness statements.

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UPDATE (11/6/13):  The shooter, Isaiah Green, has plead guilty and been sentenced to 12 years in prison.  The victim had robbed Green earlier in the day, so Green committed the shooting in revenge.

Concealed handgun falls out of man's holster and discharges in Indiana Walmart

Occurred April 13, 2013.


A man was in Walmart while carrying a concealed handgun, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when the gun fell out, hitting the ground and discharging.  Luckily no one was hurt.

No charges.

From an article:

No one was injured Saturday night at the Wal-Mart on Apple Glen Boulevard when a customer’s gun fell out of the holster and discharged, police said.

City police responded to a call about shots fired at Wal-Mart, 1710 Apple Glen Boulevard, at about 5 p.m., Fort Wayne police spokesman Chris Felton said.

When officers arrived, witnesses said that a customer carrying a handgun had accidentally dropped it, causing it to fire one shot inside the store, police said.

No one was arrested, Felton said.

Walmart allows conceal carry in every store, as long as the gun owner is allowed by law to carry in public.

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Walmart in Indiana forced to remove tactical shotgun and high-powered ammo it had agreed not to sell

Tactical shotgun sold at South Bend Walmart against city agreement

Occurred October 9, 2012.

The Walmart in South Bend, Indiana, had an agreement with the city that they would not sell tactical shotguns or .233-caliber high-powered ammunition, which is capable of piercing a police-officer's protective vest.

The Walmart sold them anyways.

Then some boys were approached by a man who offered them money if they would steal the ammo from the Walmart.  The boys reported this to their pastor, who took action to enforce the city's policy with Walmart.  

Walmart complied and removed the shotguns and .233 ammo from their stock at that store.

From an article:

.233 high-powered armor-piercing bullets sold at
South Bend Walmart against city agreement

Reverend Greg Brown, a local minister on the city's West side, became concerned about Wal-Mart’s gun sales after two of the kids in his youth group said they were offered $50 to steal ammunition from the store. 

"A gentleman came to them with a gym bag and asked them to load it up with ammunition and come out where they get tires," Brown. 

ABC 57 went to the Wal-Mart off Ireland Road in South Bend. That is when we found a 12 gauge tactical shotgun in the display case, next to .223 high-powered ammunition. 

Both items are not supposed to be sold at the store based on a written agreement with the City of South Bend. 

"We had a great relationship with them and this is why it was alarming to me that they had not honored their part of the bargain," said Davis. 

"A .223 round can shoot through a bulletproof vest, so we are concerned about our police officers safety and anybody else," said Councilman Tim Scott. 

After our news report aired, the common council took action. Davis sent a letter to Wal-Mart notifying the store that it was not in compliance with the agreement.  

One week later, at Monday's Common Council meeting, Davis updated council members on his correspondence with Wal-Mart. 

"I had a meeting with Wal-Mart and some of their officials via phone. We met for about a half hour and talked about the situation going on," said Davis.   

In the conference call, Wal-Mart agreed to get the store in compliance and has since started removing those prohibited items from its shelves. Council members said they are pleased with Wal-Mart's swift action and response to the matter. 

"It was really a good meeting. It was a very pleasant meeting because, like we told them, Wal-Mart has been a key part of the 6th district and a part of the growth in that area. So, we want to continue to keep great relationships with them," said Davis.  

Davis said the original agreement with Wal-mart still stands. The retail giant will also be providing the common council with a written report, outlining the changes they have made at the store.  

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Two people shot and injured at Indiana Walmart

Crime scene at Lawrence Walmart

Occurred May 6, 2012.

Two men were shot in a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot by a white female.  They drove a short way before a relative called 911 for them.

From an article and news video:

Police say two men were shot in a vehicle near a Walmart Sunday afternoon located at 10735 Pendleton Pike in Lawrence, Ind. 

The driver, even though shot, managed to drive about 2.5 miles to safety, where they called a relative for help. That relative called 911. 

Police say they found the car with the two men shot in the 9900 block of Ellis Drive. A pair of gym shoes belonging to one of the victims was found lying in the middle of the street next to a pool of blood. 

One victim was transported to Wishard Memorial Hospital and one went to IU Health Methodist Hospital. Both are in critical, yet stable conditions. 

Police do not have any suspects in custody and will likely review the surveillance video from Walmart to help with the case.

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