EAST POINT, Ga. — The search is on for thieves who opened fire outside a Lowe's home improvement store.
East Point police say the gunmen shot two people who tried to stop them from breaking into cars.
One of the victims ran into the store on North Commerce Drive and alerted everyone about what was going on.
Police told Channel 2's Tom Jones that the two shooting victims were in a black pickup truck in the parking lot. They noticed men in a black car breaking into cars. They called 911 and then decided to confront the men.
"They got out of their truck, approached the people in the car and gunfire erupted," Capt. Allyn Glover with the East Point Police Department said.
Police say the suspects in the car shot the two people in the truck.
The victims in the truck then fired back but the suspects got away.
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The shooting caused quite a panic in the parking lot and inside the Lowe's store.
"They just decided to close for the day because one of the victims went inside the Lowe's and was taken care of inside there," Glover said.
A longtime resident of the area, who asked not to be identified, told Jones she came to the store to get a plumbing part, but couldn't because the store was closed.
She said the Camp Creek Market Place has too much crime, even with a police precinct nearby. The shooting left her feeling even more unsafe.
"It makes me very nervous. I've been living here over 35 years and it's getting worse," the woman said.
Police believe the suspects were in a dark colored car, possibly a Maxima. It has damage to the front and rear after hitting a light pole.
Officers said they are checking surveillance cameras in the area.
One of the victims is in critical condition. The other is stable.
Cox Media Group
