InfoSearched
Published -
- July 31, 2019
- 12:02 am
2 dead after ‘disgruntled employee’ opens fire.
Anthony Brown, the store’s manager, and Brandon Gales, whose family said he worked at the store in Southaven for 16 years, were both killed in the shooting; the suspect is in police custody.
What measures can be taken to prevent tragedies like the Walmart shooting from happening again in the future?
On July 30th, 2019, tragedy struck a Walmart store in Southaven, Mississippi, when a disgruntled employee opened fire, killing two of his colleagues.
According to local police reports, the shooter, identified as 39-year-old Martez Tarrell Abram, had been suspended from his job a day before the shooting, and had reportedly been upset over that decision. He arrived at the store armed with a pistol and began shooting in the Walmart parking lot, then made his way inside the store, shooting at employees.
The store’s manager, Anthony Brown, was among the casualties. He had only just returned to work after recently undergoing heart surgery. The second victim, Brandon Gales, was also an employee at the store.
Police arrived at the scene within minutes of receiving the first calls of the incident and quickly started evacuating the store’s customers and employees. Officers then confronted the suspect inside the store, and an exchange of fire ensued.
Abram was critically injured in the exchange and later died at a local hospital. No civilians or law enforcement officers were injured in the incident, and authorities say that it is unknown at this time if Abram had any accomplices or if he had specifically targeted anyone other than his colleagues.
The deadly shooting has stunned the residents of Southaven, and the Walmart Supercenter where the incident occurred remains closed until further notice. In a statement, Walmart expressed their sadness over the tragedy, stating that they were “heartbroken” over the lose of their colleagues.
“The entire Walmart family is heartbroken by the loss of two valued members of our team,” the statement read. “We mourn with the families of our associates, and all those affected by this tragedy. We will continue to focus on assisting law enforcement in their investigation and on supporting our associates at this difficult time.”
The motive behind the shooting is still under investigation, and police are continuing with interviews and gathering evidence. As of now, it remains unclear what motivated Abram or what could have been done to prevent the tragedy.
The Southaven shooting is yet another tragic event that has highlighted the need for greater gun control measures in the United States. While it is impossible to completely prevent all acts of violence like the one that occurred in Mississippi, common-sense measures such as stricter background checks and tightening loopholes in existing gun laws, can go a long way in reducing the number of incidents. Regardless, there is a somber mood across Mississippi with people mourning the loss of their fellow citizens, and hoping that steps will be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.
