2 killed, 1 hurt in Walmart shooting
Two men were killed and a woman was injured in a shooting inside a suburban Denver Walmart last night, police said.
Thornton police tweeted last night they were responding to a shooting with “multiple parties down.” They advised people to stay away from the area as dozens of emergency vehicles converged at the store.
Police later said the incident was not an “active shooter” situation.
Multiple people described hiding in the Walmart before being evacuated by police.
Aaron Stephens, 44, told the Denver Post he was in the self-checkout line at Walmart when he heard a single shot fired then more bursts of gunfire. He said customers started screaming and running for the exits.
“I was scared,” Stephens said. “I feared for my life.”
Brandon Bonney told the newspaper he got a phone call from his brother, Edward, who was inside the store. He said his brother told him, “Bro, I’m inside Walmart, and there’s a shooting here.”
Bonney said he told his brother to “just get somewhere and hide,” and said his brother started crying. He told the newspaper he told his brother to put his phone on silent and to stay calm, but that he hasn’t heard from him since.
Investigators have not released any details about the circumstances of the shooting or the condition of the injured woman.
Special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are headed to the scene to help police. A call to the Thornton Police Department went unanswered.