2 people killed, suspect in custody in shooting at Mississippi Walmart - USA TODAY

Lindsay Schnell USA TODAY

Published 11:05 AM EDT Jul 30, 2019

A suspect is in custody after two people were killed Tuesday in a shooting at a Mississippi Walmart in the town of Southaven, 15 minutes south of Memphis, Tennessee, authorities said.

The suspect was also shot, DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco said, and is currently being treated at a local hospital.

A police officer was injured and taken to the hospital but is expected to be OK. The officer was hit in his bulletproof vest and not seriously hurt, according to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desota.

Both victims are reported to be Walmart employees; one was found dead in the store and another dead in the parking lot.

Carlos Odom, 35, typically comes to Walmart to visit his cousin, who works there. Odom was leaving around 6:30 a.m. when he heard more than a dozen shots.

"I just hear gunshots," Odom said. "Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow.

"When the cops run into Walmart, you hear more gunshots. After that, it stopped."

Odom said he later spoke to his cousin, who told Odom the shooter, still unidentified, also worked at Walmart.

Southaven is home to 55,000 people.

The Walmart shooting comes just two days after a 19-year-old man opened fired at the Gilroy Garlic Festival about an hour southeast of San Jose in California's Bay Area. Three people died in that shooting: a 6-year-old boy, 13-year-old girl and 25-year-old man. At least a dozen people were injured; the shooter was killed by police who were working the festival.

Shortly after the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting, California Gov. Gavin Newsom blasted the lack of action from congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump when it comes to gun violence.

"California’s doing its part," Newsom said. "But, Jesus, these guys, the folks in the White House, have been supporting the kind of policies to roll back the work we’re doing in states like ours, to get rid of large capacity magazines, to address the issues that we’re trying to advance on background checks on ammunition."

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, Memphis Commercial Appeal; The Associated Press

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