DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb police say they're still looking for the person who opened fire Sunday afternoon near a very crowded Walmart store filled with holiday shoppers.
The shoppers told Channel 2’s Matt Johnson it was terrifying not knowing if the gunman was actually in the store.
“All of a sudden you just started hearing people screaming and running,” shopper Danielle Reid told Johnson.
Chaos erupted inside the DeKalb County Walmart on Fairington Road in the moments after the shooting in the parking lot.
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“All of a sudden the girl said, ‘Y’all got to get out now,’” Reid said.
DeKalb County police first responded to an active shooter call at the Walmart about 3:30 p.m.
While police tried to figure out what happened, shoppers either ran or hid.
“One person said shooting and that was all I needed to hear. We closed the gate. We were in the back. Everything was quiet,” Reid said.
Police say the victim tried to get help after the shooting and that led to misinformation.
“Once the victim collapsed in front of the store, it got kind of hectic,” Lt. C.D. Swain, of the DeKalb County Police Department, said.
Police surrounded the store and learned the shooting took place in the parking lot.
Police say the gunman shot the victim in the back and then took off.
“Anything can happen around the holidays, unfortunately,” Swain said.
There was an argument off the Walmart property that spilled over into the parking lot.
The incident was enough to scare some shoppers away for good.
“This is one Walmart I won’t be back at,” Reid said.
At last check, the victim was in stable condition at a nearby hospital.
There are quite a few surveillance cameras outside the store but it's unclear whether police found anything that will help in the investigation.