An Arizona Family Dollar employee is charged with attempted murder after shooting a man who punched him in a confrontation in the store. The incident occurred at a Phoenix location on Wednesday just before 8 p.m.
Police in the city said that the metropolitan area had recently suffered from a surge in violent crime.
Kevin Salas Madrid encountered who he described as a “serial shoplifter” and reportedly warned the suspect to stop stealing and leave the premises. An argument ensued, and then local media outlets said that the alleged shoplifter punched Madrid in the face.
Witnesses reported that Madrid’s eyeglasses flew off his face.
It was then that the employee produced his handgun and reportedly shot the suspect 10 times. One witness reported that they believed Madrid shot 15 times.
Some of the shots are believed to have been fired while the suspect was on the floor, and he was rushed to a local hospital suffering from critical injuries. Reports said Madrid did not see if the alleged shoplifter had any weapons.
Arizona Family Dollar Employee Charged with Murder After Allegedly Gunning Down Serial Shoplifter Who Punched Him in the Face https://t.co/SCiLd0zq0j
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) March 26, 2023
Police report finding the accused shoplifter shot several times and Madrid at the location with an unloaded gun. The employee identified himself to law enforcement as the shooter.
In a probable cause statement, authorities reported that Madrid called it “the worst decision of his life.” The police statement said the employee recounted that “he was struck and decided to shoot but looking back, he realized it was egregious.”
Madrid is charged with attempted second-degree murder along with other charges. The incident was the second shooting in less than a month at a Phoenix Family Dollar, and the last one ended with a fatality.
Earlier in March, police found 43-year-old Chris Gonzalez shot in the head, and the victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Authorities were later able to arrest a 35-year-old suspect through evidence gathered on surveillance video of the incident.
What may have been deemed a case of self-defense escalated when the alleged shoplifter was shot multiple times while on the ground. It will be interesting to note how a jury reacts to the evidence and if the second-degree attempted murder charge could possibly be lowered.
