Dad shot while buying lunchbox for his child at Walmart store

A bystander sustained gunshot wounds after an argument broke out between two patrons at a Walmart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday.

One suspect is in custody, while the other remains at large.

The victim is a 42-year old father who was in line buying a lunchbox for one of his children. He received multiple gunshot wounds and was transferred to a local hospital where he is in stable condition, according to East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux.

The initial reason for the altercation is unknown. “It escalated to both of them pulling guns and one of them firing shots. We think the guy at large is the one who fired the shots, but we won’t know until we get him in custody,” Gautreaux said.

The suspect at large was wearing a black shirt and black shorts. Law enforcement has expanded their search perimeter and asks that local residents remain aware of their surroundings and notify them in case they have any information regarding the shooting.

Walmart employees are required to take courses in case of an active-shooter scenario.

“Every 90 days we have an active shooter [course], and I’ve been thinking about it ever since I’ve been taking it,” Gregory Degrate, a Walmart employee said.

However, even with their training the impact of this event is inevitable.

“After all that happened in Texas and some of these other Walmarts ... it’s really surprising and shocking that we came that close like that,” Degrate said.

But local law enforcement and emergency responders understand the potential impact and train year-round for these situations. Thanks to their training, the initial responders arrived within four minutes of the 911 call, according to Gautreaux.