A woman waiting in line at a Walmart in North Carolina was shot dead Friday afternoon by a 17-year-old suspect who was attempting, with a friend, to shoot and kill two other people he “knew,” according to police.
According to the Lumberton Police Department, Ezekiel Burden of Lumberton is currently wanted for first-degree murder, discharge of a firearm within an enclosure to incite fear, and other charges in connection with the fatal shooting of Brandy Nicole Olson, 42, at a local Walmart Supercenter.
His friend, Brian Campbell, 18, is wanted for being an accessory after the fact. According to local officials, the two of them allegedly fled the Walmart following the shooting, leaving residents concerned about whether it is safe to continue doing last-minute shopping.
According to police, the suspects appeared to be targeting two people standing at the Woodforest Bank, which is located inside Walmart. Olson was standing in line at the bank when she was shot, according to police.
A shopper inside the Lumberton Walmart captured cellphone footage with audio of at least six gunshots ringing out from the front of the store near the bank where Olson was shot.
With all of the mass shootings, I thought my life had ended. It is a feeling I never want to have again. I was so grateful to be safe, even though my children were not with me. My heart and prayers go out to everyone involved, including the victim’s family!”
Another shopper, Steven Rumsey, told Raleigh CBS affiliate WNCN that Olson appeared to be fleeing during the chaos when she was accidentally struck by gunfire.
“When he started shooting, the lady ran in front of him,” she said.
Lumberton Police confirmed on Facebook that Olson was checking out.
“As gunshots were fired the victim, who was waiting in line, was struck and killed,” according to the police department.
City Councilman John Cantey Jr. told local ABC affiliate WTVD that his office has received an influx of calls from concerned citizens worried about doing last-minute shopping now that the shooting has occurred and the suspects are still on the loose.
“A lot of the citizens are calling,” he said Saturday. “Our citizens are afraid. They are afraid of this holiday season. And it is a tragedy. And our prayers, on behalf of my precinct and the city, are with the lady’s family.”