Hammond, Indiana: Walmart Employee Shot and Killed Inside Store, Coworker in Custody

A Walmart employee was shot and killed inside the store where she worked in Hammond, Indiana, on Monday morning, and police took her 18 year old coworker into custody inside the store, Hammond police said.

The shooting happened just after 9 a.m. inside the Walmart North Supercenter at 1100 5th Avenue, according to a statement from Hammond Police Captain Steve Kellogg reported by NBC Chicago. The store had opened to customers at 6 a.m. Officers responded around 9:09 a.m. after an off-duty Hammond officer working store security reported the shooting, FOX 32 Chicago reported.

What police say happened

According to police, a 25 year old female employee was shot multiple times after a verbal argument with an 18 year old male coworker turned physical. FOX 32 reported that the man was speaking with the employee when the encounter turned physical, and that he then got a gun and shot her multiple times. She died from her injuries.

Police said the gunman walked a few aisles over, put his gun down and waited for officers to arrest him. He was taken into custody inside the store. The scene drew a large police response, and the Hammond Fire Department and the Lake County Coroner were also on site, NBC Chicago reported. Neither station reported any other injuries in the first police statements.

Store closed, police call it isolated

Police said they believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public. Walmart North stayed closed for the rest of Monday.

"The Hammond Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the victim's family, friends, and coworkers," the department said in a statement.

Walmart issued its own statement through a spokesperson. "We're heartbroken by what's happened at our Hammond, IN store. We're working closely with authorities as they continue investigating."

Names and charges not yet released

Police had not released the name of the woman who died or the name of the man in custody in their first statements on Monday, and no charges had been announced in the reports. Officers said the investigation is ongoing and that they will release additional information as it becomes available.

Hammond sits in Lake County in northwest Indiana, just across the state line from Chicago. The Walmart on 5th Avenue is a main shopping stop for the north side of the city, and on Monday it stayed dark for the rest of the day while detectives worked inside.