Two people were injured in a shooting at a Walmart in Lancaster, South Carolina, on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a swift response from law enforcement. Shoppers scrambled for cover as a massive police presence blocked the store’s entrance.
Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile confirmed that the incident occurred just before 3 p.m. near the North Carolina border. The two victims were rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One person has been detained, and authorities stated the situation is no longer active.
Investigators believe the individuals involved in the shooting knew each other. All three involved were men, but their ages have not been disclosed. No Walmart employees were involved in the incident.
Officers conducted a thorough search of the store and declared the area safe by 4:30 p.m. However, investigators are working to determine if additional suspects were involved.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office initially confirmed the shooting on Facebook, warning the public: “Stay away from Walmart in Lancaster!”
Terrified witnesses described seeing dozens of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks arrive on the scene. Four local schools were briefly placed on lockdown, which has since been lifted.
Eyewitness accounts captured the chaos and fear. One shopper recalled being rushed out of a back door while another described hearing multiple gunshots, calling it “the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
The Lancaster Police Department and Sheriff’s Office have yet to release additional details.
This incident follows a 2019 mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, where Patrick Crusius killed 23 people in a racially motivated attack. Crusius was sentenced to 90 life sentences in 2023 after pleading guilty.
Lancaster residents remain on edge, hoping for answers and reassurance from authorities in the wake of this unsettling event.
