iStock(SOUTHHAVEN, Miss.) — Two people were “senselessly murdered” and an officer was shot and injured by a gunman at a Southaven, Miss., Walmart on Tuesday, according to officials.
After the shooting, which unfolded at about 6:30 a.m. local time, two officers found the suspect outside Walmart, Southaven police chief Macon Moore said at a news conference.
One officer was shot at that time and saved by his bulletproof vest, Moore said. The officer is now in the hospital recovering, he said.
The suspected shooter was shot twice by an officer and taken to a hospital to undergo surgery, Moore said.
“There’s no doubt” the recent active shooter training required of the officers “saved lives today,” Moore said.
Southaven is along the Mississippi/Tennessee border and is about 13 miles south of Memphis.
Walmart said in a statement: “We’re deeply saddened by the reports from our store in Southaven, Mississippi. We are working with local law enforcement and will continue to update as we learn more. Our hearts are with the victims, their families and the entire Southaven community.”
Victims’ names have not been released.
The Southaven Police Department is handling the criminal investigation into the assault on Walmart employees while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will examine the officer-involved shooting, said Moore.
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