ST. LOUIS — A security guard shot a man at a Schnucks Thursday afternoon in St. Louis.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said officers responded shortly after 2:40 p.m. to a report of a man shot at the grocery store on 3431 Union Blvd. The man's condition has not been released.
Police confirmed to 5 On Your Side's Robert Townsend that a security guard shot the suspect.
According to police, a security guard was standing outside the store when an employee alerted him to a customer acting strangely inside the store.
“It was crazy!” said Kira McHenry, a Schnucks employee who spoke exclusively to 5 On Your Side’s Robert Townsend shortly after the shooting.
“The man was inside our store. I don’t even know what type of noises he was making really, but it was very loud, weird and distracting,” McHenry said. “He kept running up in the guard’s face and the guard kept asking the man 'will you please just leave?'”
The guard escorted the man outside and asked him to leave. That’s when police say the man stormed back into the store through a back door, lunged toward the guard and threatened him.
“It didn’t really get scary for me until he forced his way inside the store. We ended up locking the doors,” said McHenry.
Police said that the guard drew his gun and fired at least six shots at the suspect inside the store's lobby. The man was struck at least once in his arm.
The injured man then ran away and got into a car with his niece.
The man’s niece drove several blocks away to Wabada and Semple avenues, where police arrested the man and took him to an area hospital.
No other people were hurt in the incident. Police said the man also had a small dog with him that was not hurt. The Schnucks closed for a couple of hours Thursday afternoon as police investigated and is now back open.
"It’s kids, children and everybody who come here to this store. Actually, my grandmother told me to come here and get her medicine, but I waited a while. I could have been here when that shooting happened,” said Jalisa Townsend, one of many customers who stood outside the store in shock.
“When I hear about a shooting at our neighborhood store, it makes me not want to come here for a few days. I shouldn’t have to be afraid,” said Marvin Vaughn, another customer.
Vaughn is also a security guard.
Investigators said they believe the man's actions may have been related to mental health issues. An employee tells 5 On Your Side the man is a regular at the store.
A rattled Kira McHenry was relieved the mayhem finally ended.
“All I could say was thank God. Thank God,” said McHenry.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.