Kissimmee Walmart shooting: Deputy shoot, kills armed shoplifting suspect inside store, sheriff says

Shooting involving officer inside Kissimmee Walmart: Sheriff

A shooting involving a law enforcement officer occurred Thursday evening inside a Walmart at the Poinciana Town Center. According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, three men were allegedly shoplifting when a deputy attempted to stop them.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - A shooting involving an off-duty law enforcement officer occurred Thursday evening inside a Walmart at the Poinciana Town Center, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

According to officials, three men were allegedly shoplifting when a deputy attempted to stop them.

What we know:

Just after 11 p.m., there remained a large law enforcement presence at the store, located at 904 Cypress Parkway.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office said it was alerted to the incident just before 8 p.m.

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Multiple entrances were blocked for several hours and deputies were walking the parking lot. Video from inside the store appeared to show at least one person on the floor.

What they're saying:

One suspect reportedly had a gun, prompting the off-duty deputy to fire, according to Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon.

"One of our deputies is working off-duty at the Walmart — they've hired him here for the safety and security of the customers. And tonight, the loss prevention officer, which is the theft prevention officer at Walmart, notified our deputy at the front of the store that there were three men inside the store that had concealed merchandise," said Sheriff Blackmon during a news conference. "Our deputy attempted to meet those men at the front of the store and when he did, one of the gentlemen took off running, had a gun in his hand, and with that said, our deputy fired down range at the suspect and took him out. He had a gun in his hand and was running through the store."

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The two other suspects fled the scene and are still being sought by law enforcement. 

What's next:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure for any shooting involving a police officer or deputy.