A police shooting in the parking lot of a Milton Walmart on Friday has resulted in the death of a 31-year-old woman named Shantidra Harris of Atlanta, as reported by 11Alive. The incident took place in the midday frenzy when Milton Police responded to a shoplifting call from Kohl's; officers were initially dispatched at approximately 12:15 p.m. before later confronting the suspects at the nearby Walmart.

Authorities stated that Harris was attempting to escape after a shoplifting incident when she commandeered a white Toyota Corolla, witnesses reported seeing two individuals hurriedly exiting the Kohl's with their arms full, igniting the chain of events leading to the altercation, as told by witness Stacy Wooten to FOX 5 Atlanta, who called 911 after observing the initial alleged theft. During the ensuing police action, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Harris accelerated the stolen vehicle and struck a police officer, which resulted in the officer discharging their weapon, striking Harris.

The injured police officer was reportedly treated at North Fulton Hospital in Alpharetta for only minor injuries before being released. Harris, however, succumbed to her injuries the same evening. The names of the other involved parties have not been disclosed, and as 11Alive notes, a third suspect remains at large, though officials assert there is no immediate threat to public safety.

An employee from a nearby McDonald's shared with 11Alive her encounter, saying "I was just scared because I just never heard gunshots in real life before," her mother, after the situation unfolded, inevitably coming to meet her. This shooting episode has prompted the GBI to take the lead on the investigation into the use of deadly force by the police officer, marking yet another somber inquiry into the tragic outcomes that sometimes follow the intersection of law enforcement and civilian encounters.