A chaotic scene ensued at a Walmart in south suburban Olympia Fields early Saturday when a person suspected in a retail theft fired a gunshot during a struggle with a security guard inside the store, authorities said.
At approximately 9:42 a.m., police officers responded to Walmart in regard to shots fired and located a female employee who had been injured, according to Olympia Fields Police Chief Derrick Blasingame. The employee, a security guard, was taken to Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Hospital where she was treated for a head wound and later released.
While it wasn't immediately clear what led up to the incident, police said a struggle ensued between the security guard and multiple retail theft suspects, and at some point, one of the individuals fired a gunshot. Once at the hospital, doctors determined the employee hadn't been shot, but likely sustained a head wound when she fell during the struggle.
Police continued to seek the suspects Saturday afternoon, but emphasized the incident was isolated, and there was no ongoing threat to the community.
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Walmart issued the following statement following the incdent:
"“We’re deeply disturbed by today’s incident and are thankful that the associate involved did not sustain any injuries. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement during their investigations and hope the suspect will be apprehended swiftly and brought to justice.”
