A shooting inside a Kroger grocery store in Cypress, Texas, left two men critically injured Wednesday afternoon after authorities said the incident stemmed from a domestic violence disturbance between the two individuals involved.
Deputies with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office responded around 2:50 p.m. to reports of gunfire at the store located on Cypresswood Drive near Fairfield Meadows Drive, northwest of Houston.
Officials said multiple calls came in reporting shots fired inside the store.
When deputies arrived, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds.
Authorities said one man walked out of the store with injuries before being taken to a hospital, while another man was found inside the store with multiple gunshot wounds.
Officials said one of the injured men was believed to be the suspect, while the other was the victim.
Both individuals were transported for medical treatment and were listed in critical condition. One of the men was taken by Life Flight due to the severity of his injuries, ABC 13 reported.
Harris County Precinct 4 Capt. Juan Flores said investigators believe the two men involved were the only individuals connected to the shooting and that there was no continuing danger to the public.
Authorities said preliminary information indicated the incident stemmed from a domestic disturbance between the two men.
Officials have not released the identities of either person. Detectives continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting and were reviewing evidence, including surveillance footage from inside the store.
Constable Mark Herman said the victim was in serious condition and was transported from the scene by Life Flight, while the suspected shooter suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and was taken to a nearby hospital.
Investigators did not immediately explain how the suspect sustained the injury.
The shooting caused panic among shoppers inside the store as customers rushed to escape after hearing gunfire.
Witness Patrick Young said he was shopping near the frozen food section when he heard a scream followed by multiple gunshots.
He said he initially thought the noise may have involved children but quickly realized adults were involved and ran away from the gunfire toward the front of the store, WTHR reported.
Other witnesses described a chaotic scene as shoppers fled into the parking lot.
Chace Zawacki said that he had just entered the store.
“There was this male in yellow about 50 yards ahead of me and he goes in this door and I’m about at the doors where I hear a loud boom and a couple seconds go by and I hear almost a couple more booms,” he told reporters.
Young said he saw children and elderly shoppers among those scrambling to escape as customers rushed from the store, according to Click2Houston.
Kroger said it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and confirmed it was cooperating with local law enforcement.
The company said the store would remain closed while investigators worked the scene and that counseling services had been made available for employees affected by the shooting.
Authorities secured the store and parking lot while the investigation continued.
Officials said no bystanders were injured during the incident.
Officials said potential charges would be determined after investigators complete their review of the evidence and gather additional information about the domestic disturbance that led to the shooting.
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