(COVINGTON, Ga.) — A Walmart employee killed one co-worker and injured another in an after-hours shooting spree that started at the store and ended with the individual killing another co-worker at a nearby home, according to law enforcement officials.
The initial shooting took place in a Walmart branch in Covington, Georgia, about 35 miles east of Atlanta, at around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.
An employee allegedly exited the building shortly before the shooting, retrieved a firearm and returned inside, according to a preliminary investigation.
The suspect then located a male acquaintance within the store, and fatally shot them, according to the sheriff’s office.
The suspect later encountered a second acquaintance outside Walmart and shot him as well. That person was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office.
The suspect then left the area and went into a neighborhood where they forced entry into a residence, found another female acquaintance and fatally shot her, the sheriff’s office said.
“This was not an active shooter situation. The suspect specifically targeted individuals they knew,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The suspect fled the area and had a brief standoff with Aiken County, South Carolina, sheriff’s deputies and South Carolina State Troopers. The suspect then apparently shot himself and was taken to a local hospital, according to the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office. Aiken County is on the Georgia-South Carolina border, about two hours from Covington.
No deputies were injured. The suspect remains in custody as he is being treated, officials said.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
“We’re heartbroken by what’s happened. There’s no place for violence in our stores. We’re focused on taking care of our associates and supporting law enforcement with their investigation,” Walmart said in a statement Friday.
ABC News’ Alex Faul contributed to this report.
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