Police have charged a 29-year-old man with reckless conduct after his gun accidentally fired inside a Walmart on Sunday, injuring four people.
During the incident, Michael Walton reportedly mishandled his weapon in the store. The bullet allegedly ricocheted hitting Walton and three other people, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Further investigation into the matter revealed that the gun was fully loaded and it was confirmed that only a single bullet was discharged from the weapon, the police said, according to The Telegraph.
Lovejoy Police responded to shots fired inside the Walmart on Tara Boulevard in Hampton, and upon assessing the scene, deemed that none of the injuries sustained were life-threatening, according to Fox 5. The incident occurred in the grocery section of Walmart at roughly 12:20 p.m., according to WSBTV.
“The gun was in his waistband not holstered and loaded. The gun slipped down his leg, he attempted to grab it, and was somehow manipulating the weapon and discharged the firearm,” Sgt. Akeem Turnbull of Lovejoy Police said, according to WSBTV.
“One of the victims also got hit in the leg. The other one got hit in the back of the leg and the other one got some bruising. All of them were towards the lower portions of the bodies,” Sgt. Akeem added.
Police reported that Walton failed to handle his weapon with a “reasonable standard of care,” according to The Telegraph. They went on to say his “actions put all other patrons and employees of the business at risk.” Walton was charged with reckless conduct and booked into Clayton County Jail, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. (RELATED: Paige VanZant Shoots A Gun In Awesome Viral Video)