A woman working at a Walmart Supercenter in Hammond, Indiana was shot multiple times and killed Monday morning after an encounter with a man inside the store turned physical, according to police. An off-duty Hammond police officer working security at the store reported the shooting and took the suspect into custody.
Hammond police said officers were called to the Walmart Supercenter at 1100 5th Ave., just across the Indiana state line from Chicago, at around 9:09 a.m. Monday, according to CBS News Chicago. Police said the man had been talking with the woman employee in a store aisle when their encounter turned physical, after which he reportedly retrieved a gun and shot her multiple times, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago. The woman died from her injuries at the scene.
Off-Duty Officer Took Suspect Into Custody
An off-duty Hammond police officer who was working store security at the time reported the shooting and placed the suspect in custody, per Hammond Police Captain Steve Kellogg. The suspect reportedly sat on the ground a couple of aisles away and waited for police to arrive, Kellogg said, according to the same CBS News Chicago account. FOX 32 Chicago reported that the woman was in her mid-20s, while the station separately noted that police believed the male suspect was about 18 years old, per WGN-TV.
The employee's identity had not been released at the time of WGN-TV's report. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. described the shooting as a domestic situation, the station reported. Separately, Telemundo 51 reported that authorities believed the victim and the man knew each other, though further detail on their relationship was not provided.
Police Say No Ongoing Threat, Investigation Continues
Hammond police said they believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public. The investigation remains ongoing, and police said they would release additional information as it becomes available, per the station's report.
Walmart North was expected to remain closed for the rest of Monday following the shooting. In a statement, Walmart said it was heartbroken by what happened at its Hammond store and that it was working closely with authorities as they continue investigating.
The shooting adds to a grim national backdrop for retail workers. An archived release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that roughly 30 percent of fatalities in the retail trade industry sector in 2023 were homicides, totaling 94 deaths that year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
