An argument inside Costco ended up having deadly consequences Friday night as a man pulled out a gun and killed the person he had been in an argument with inside the store in Southern California. Three other people were injured in the crowded store in Corona, about 50 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Among the injured was an off-duty police officer who also discharged his gun during the altercation.
There are few details about what actually happened inside the store but a law enforcement officer said that the gunman was arguing with someone when he suddenly pulled out a gun and killed the man. Chaos ensued as several shots were fired and panicked shoppers and employees started running as they looked for a place to hide. When police arrived they found that one man had died from his injuries and three other adults were taken to local hospital for apparent gunshot wounds, including the off-duty police officer.
“Upon entering Costco, officers located four injured people on the floor. One subject succumbed to their injuries at the scene and three other subjects, including an off duty officer from another agency, were transported to local hospitals in unknown conditions,” Corona Police Public Information Officer Tobias Kouroubacalis wrote in a statement.
The alleged shooter was detained at the store and later taken to the hospital for an unknown injury. But on Saturday police said no one was in custody.
Police confirmed Saturday that the off-duty police officer fired his gun inside the store. The man who died has not been identified.
Some people suffered injuries as they tried to escape the store. Some said the whole situation became even more chaotic when emergency doors wouldn´t open. “It’s not very fun when you’re scared and you’re running for your life and you’re trying to open a door that says ‘emergency’ and they don’t open,” Rochelle Flores told KTLA. “Everybody was freaking out. People were falling over each other.”
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