EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. (WGN) – Two people were shot Wednesday afternoon at a suburban Walmart and a suspect has been taken into custody.
The Evergreen Park Police Department said the shooting happened just before 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Walmart located in the 2500 block of West 95th Street.
SkyCam 9 flew over the scene and saw a heavy police presence. Police tape was seen wrapped in front of the store’s entrance.
Police said one of the victims, identified as a 23-year-old man, was walking into the store when the suspect got out of a gray Hyundai and chased after him while shooting. The 23-year-old man was shot in the leg at least five times and taken to Christ Hospital in unknown condition. A 70-year-old woman was also shot in the foot and taken to an area hospital in good condition.
The suspect got back in the Hyundai and sped off before getting out again and trying to run away, but he was taken into custody a short time later in the 9300 block of Country Club Drive, thanks in part to police drones flying in the area.
“The offender ran out through the back door of the store over here, yes, and did go into the neighborhood, but he was arrested within a short period of time after that. We flooded the area with police and we did have a drone up there that saw him in a yard and a resident did call it in,” Evergreen Park Police Chief Michael Saunders said.
Witnesses described the tense moments inside the store as the shooting happened.
“And all of a sudden I heard boom, boom, boom. I wasn’t aware at first but I was like, this sounds like gunshots. So that’s when I ran for cover. It seemed a little far distance from me, but I did hear the gunshots and everyone was in a panic. People were just scattering everywhere, running for cover,” one witness said.
Authorities added Chicago police officers found the suspect’s vehicle in the 800 block of West Marquette and brought it to the Evergreen Park Police Station. They also said detectives are in the process of reviewing surveillance video and interviewing store employees.
It is unclear how long the store will remain closed.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Evergreen Park Police Department at 708-422-2144.
No other information was released.
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