A sheriff’s deputy shot an active shooter suspect in a Florida grocery store Thursday before anyone was hurt.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to calls Thursday afternoon about a disturbance inside a Grocery Advantage Store in Pensacola, Fla., the office said in a statement Thursday on Facebook. A male suspect allegedly brought a handgun into the store and was firing at shoppers, but he did not hit anyone.
Deputies arrived at the store and “immediately thwarted the active shooter situation,” according to the Thursday statement. Escambia County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Maj. Andrew Hobbs confirmed that “he was an active shooter.”
As deputies arrived on the scene, the suspect approached them with the gun, Hobbs said. A deputy shot the man, and he was taken to a local hospital for multiple gunshot wounds.
No civilians or law enforcement officers were injured in the incident.
“As the Sheriff, I know I speak not only for the Sheriff’s Office but all citizens of Escambia County, in thanking the fine men and women of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for their professionalism and courage which is displayed every day but especially today in stopping this suspect.” Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said in the statement.
Here is the statement posted on Facebook:
“Active Shooter Thwarted
At 2:42 pm, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance at the Grocery Advantage located in the 4300 blk of Lillian Hwy. Dispatch advised that a male suspect was armed with a gun inside the store and was shooting. Deputies arrived on scene and located the suspect and immediately thwarted the active shooter situation. No civilians or deputies were injured during the incident. The suspect was then transported to a local hospital. Per ECSO policy, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was notified and responded to investigate the officer involved shooting.
“As the Sheriff, I know I speak not only for the Sheriff’s Office but all citizens of Escambia County, in thanking the fine men and women of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for their professionalism and courage which is displayed every day but especially today in stopping this suspect.” Sheriff David Morgan”
Officials did not immediately release the name of the alleged shooter or the state of his injuries.
Lee Gainey, a man who works across the street from the store, said shoppers and employees came running out of the store screaming that there was a shooter.
“It was fast,” Gainey told the Pensacola News Journal. “It seemed like only 30 seconds after I saw the four cashiers running, the police were everywhere.”
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