Shooting at Walmart Distribution Center in California Leaves 2 Dead
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A shooting at a Walmart distribution center in Northern California left two people dead and multiple injured on Saturday, according to officials.
According to the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office, a man circled the Red Bluff, Calif. distribution center’s parking lot several times before crashing his vehicle into the building and and opened fire at random targets with a semi-automatic weapon — fatally shooting one employee. The attacker, identified by authorities as 31-year-old Louis Lane, was killed by police officers after exchanging multiple rounds of gunfire in the parking lot.
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Officials identified the victim as 45-year-old Martin Haro-Lozano of Orland, Calif. He was transported to the St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff but later died, said the authorities. Four additional victims were also transported to the hospital and are in fair condition, according to Dignity Health North State. Officials said that at least one person was struck by Lane’s vehicle.
The sheriff’s office said Sunday morning that Lane had been fired from his job at the distribution center in February 2019 after not showing up for his shift. The shooter’s magazine held more than 10 rounds, according to officials, making it illegal in California. The sheriff’s office expects to release more details regarding the incident following autopsies Monday.
A representative from Walmart did not immediately respond to FN’s request for comment.
Last September, Walmart announced sweeping changes to its gun sales policy following two mass shootings at its stores. In August 2019, 22 people were fatally shot at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. The incident came just a few days after another shooting at one of the retailer’s Mississippi locations, where a suspended employee killed two co-workers.
In a memo sent to employees in early September, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said the company would stop selling short-barrel rifle ammunition, including .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber ammunition, both of which can be used in large-capacity clips on military-style weapons. Additionally, the big-box chain said it would halt the sales of handgun ammunition in all stores, as well as handgun sales in Alaska stores — marking a “complete exit” from its handgun business.
“We encourage our nation’s leaders to move forward and strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger,” McMillon wrote. “As we’ve seen before, these horrific events occur and then the spotlight fades. We should not allow that to happen.”
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