Pensacual, Fl
Police said an altercation between two men at Walmart in West Miami-Dade escalated into gun violence, killing one and arresting the other.
Miami-Dade Police units responded to the store located at 8400 Coral Road.
Investigators said the accident happened shortly before 9:45 a.m.
One shopper who said she heard the shooting was Yvette Nylond, a nurse at a South Miami hospital.
Nilund, as a frontline worker dealing with COVID-19 for the past six months, said she had not anticipated the emergence of the emergency during a stop at Walmart to return.
“It was so scary. I’ve never experienced anything like that, even as a nurse.”
The shots prompted customers to run towards the exits.
“I heard something like a shot, and people are running away, and me too,” said a witness who introduced himself as Larry.
Another witness said, “One of the employees had the nerve to tell me, ‘No, this is only for the employee to leave,’ and I like, ‘Well, try to stop me,’ ‘so I managed to escape from behind, and now these are the consequences.
Nilund returns to the store, hoping that she can help the man who, the police said, was shot in the back of the store.
“By the time I got to my car to get my medical equipment and came back, the police and I were there to help and initiate CPR,” she said.
Nilund described the injured victim.
“The man was wearing a mask when I rolled him and took off his mask,” she said.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue team responded to the scene shortly after and announced the man’s death.
Officials said the other man involved in the dispute was being held for questioning, but at this point, interrogators have no motive.
“The preliminary information we have is that both adult males got involved in a type of altercation that escalated, leading to the shooting,” MDPD Detective Angel Rodriguez said.
A Walmart spokesperson released a statement saying: “We are shocked and saddened by today’s incident and will do everything we can to assist the police in their investigation. We are grateful for their prompt response, and our hearts go out to those affected by this morning’s events.”
