Guns were blazing this week at the Wal-Mart in the Chicago suburb of Darien, Illinois, a small city with a population of 22,315. A shooting inside the Wal-Mart took place on December 3rd, and the gunman was still at large as of Friday, December 4th.
Darien police said the 3 to 5 shots were not a random affair, according to the Chicago Tribune. One man was hit in the shoulder by a bullet. The assailant shot the man inside the store, then fled before the Darien police arrived on the scene. One witness told the Tribune that 5 to 9 young people were involved in an argument that led to some punches being thrown, and ultimately gunshots ended the argument.
Darien police corralled as many as 60 shoppers and employees to see who might have witnessed the shooting. One long-time Darien resident told The Tribune: “It was just an isolated incident. These are dangerous times. You never know where something is going to happen.”
Another shopper suggested Wal-Mart should install metal detectors at the doors. “I know it is not good for the community because it looks bad,??? he said, ???But if they had metal detectors that guy would not have been able to come in with a gun..”
The day after the shooting, a Wal-Mart spokesman said: “The police were immediately notified once we became aware of this incident and we’re providing resources to law enforcement as appropriate to assist in their ongoing investigation.” That presumably means the retailer is letting the police review its store surveillance tapes.
The parking lot at the Wal-Mart was soon encircled with yellow police tape. Several other stores in the same strip mall were put on lockdown. “You just don’t expect something like this to happen on a Thursday night in a small town like Darien,??? another shopper told the newspaper.
Readers are urged to contact the Darien, Illinois Wal-Mart on 75th Street by calling (630) 434-0490, to leave this message for the store manager:
???Shoppers would feel a lot safer at your store if you had metal detectors to stop people from entering Wal-Mart with a gun. I know that higher end stores do not have these problems—but if Wal-Mart does, then you need to protect the shoppers???and your own employees???inside the store. If the cost of metal detectors is a hindrance, maybe your buyers could source one from China.
Here???s the Chicago Tribune story: http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/chicago-suburbs/darien-CHIS0012-topic.html
Readers are urged to contact the Darien, Illinois Wal-Mart on 75th Street by calling (630) 434-0490, to leave this message for the store manager:
???Shoppers would feel a lot safer at your store if you had metal detectors to stop people from entering Wal-Mart with a gun. I know that higher-end stores do not have these problems—but if Wal-Mart does–then you need to protect the shoppers???and your own employees???inside the store. If the cost of metal detectors is a hindrance, maybe your buyers could source one from China.
To read the Chicago Tribune story:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/chicago-suburbs/darien-CHIS0012-topic.html
Guns were blazing this week at the Wal-Mart in the Chicago suburb of Darien, Illinois, a small city with a population of 22,315. A shooting inside the Wal-Mart took place on December 3rd, and the gunman was still at large as of Friday, December 4th.
