Police respond to shooting in North Co. Walmart, employee charged

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A Walmart employee is facing charges after shooting a customer Friday night following an argument.

Florissant police responded around 10:45 p.m. on Friday to a Walmart located at the 3300 block of U.S. Highway 67 in Florissant for a report of shots being fired inside the store.

St. Louis County prosecutors have charged 23-year-old Larry Miller, an employee of the Walmart. Police said he is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. Miller is being held at the St. Louis County Jail on a $250,000 cash-only bond.

Eyewitness Janaye Manse says she was walking to pay for her groceries when four gunshots sent patrons scattering for safety. Manse and her sister ended up hiding in a bathroom until police gave the all clear.

“We didn’t think we were going to make it out,” Manse said. “[To Walmart,] who are you hiring, and how many of them have guns? Now I’m thinking, I have no groceries, should I even go back?”

According to police, an officer who was working security at the Walmart notified the Florissant Police and told them he was with a man who had been shot near the front of the store.

The officer on scene provided aid to the man until first responders arrived; police reported that the man was shot in his lower extremities, and the wounds were not life-threatening.

Officers searched the store, arrested an employee of the Walmart and recovered a gun. Police said prior to the shooting, there was a physical fight between Miller and the victim. During the fight, Miller brought out a gun, and the victim began to run. Miller shot the man three times in the lower body, according to police.

No other injuries were reported, and no shoppers were inside the store at the time of the shooting.

A spokesperson with Walmart sent First Alert 4 a statement that said, “Senseless violence like what happened last night will not be tolerated. We’re grateful to law enforcement for their swift action, and we are cooperating fully with police during the investigation.”