Police have charged a man with reckless conduct after he unintentionally fired his gun inside a Walmart on Sunday, injuring four people.
During the incident, Michael Walton, 29, mishandled his weapon in the store. The bullet ricocheted and hit Walton and three other people. According to authorities, the gun was fully loaded and it was confirmed that only a single bullet was discharged from the weapon.
Lovejoy Police responded to reports of shots fired inside the Walmart on Tara Boulevard in Hampton and confirmed that none of the injuries sustained were life-threatening.
“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.
“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,” adding that 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.
