A cashier is dead and two people have been wounded after a shooting broke out inside a grocery store in DeKalb County Georgia on Monday afternoon.
The incident took place near Candler Road in DeKalb County at a Big Bear grocery store at around 1:10 p.m. local time.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a 30-year-old man from the town of Palmetto, identified as Victor Lee Tucker, Jr., was the one who allegedly entered the store and incited an argument over its mask-wearing policy.
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According to the police report, Tucker got into an argument with a cashier about wearing a face mask in the store while he was at the register checking out. Apparently he didn’t want to wear one — and felt it was worth killing over.
In a statement, the GBI said:
“Tucker left the store without making his purchase, but immediately returned inside. Tucker walked directly back to the cashier, pulled out a handgun and shot her.”
The cashier, who was shot and killed in the incident, was identified on Tuesday as 41-year-old Laquitta Willis, according to the DeKalb County Police Department. She was pronounced dead hours late at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
So awful…
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Tucker was also wounded in the incident, though he is expected to survive. Apparently, an off-duty officer who “is a veteran of the sheriff’s office” pulled out his weapon and opened fire on Tucker in response to the shooting. Tucker was hit, but returned fire and struck the off-duty officer twice, per investigators. Another cashier was grazed by a bullet and treated at the scene.
So there was a “good guy with a gun” — and yet it didn’t save Willis and only resulted in more shooting. Huh.
Tucker allegedly tried to crawl out of the store after the shooting; police arrested him prior to his being able to leave. Now, he faces one count of murder and two counts of aggravated assault, according to authorities. Both Tucker and the off-duty officers are listed as being in stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital as they recover. Thank goodness for that at least.
Unbelievable — or maybe it shouldn’t be — that somebody would get so mad about a mask policy that they’d go get their gun and shoot up the store in response. These people say they’re fighting for freedom, but it doesn’t sound like they’re respecting the private business’ choices much, does it.
Ugh.
We send our condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the victim in this case. Our hearts go out to those mourning her death from such a senseless, awful tragedy.
Here’s more on the incident and aftermath from local Georgia news station 11Alive (below):
So sad.
R.I.P…
[Image via 11 Alive/YouTube]