KANSAS CITY, Missouri—Two men with handguns in their waistbands alarmed shoppers when they entered a Kansas City-area Walmart on Sunday, Aug. 18, but police say they were just buying ammunition for target practice.
Kansas City, Missouri, Police Sgt. Jake Becchina says the men were cooperative and were released because they hadn’t violated Missouri law.
Shopper Clennon Jones said he saw officers speed into the parking lot and one jumped out with a shotgun in hand. Jones says shoppers streamed out of the store and warned others not to enter.
Missouri does not require a permit to openly carry a firearm for those 19 years or older. The Walmart store the men entered does not prohibit guns in the store.
Walmart officials didn’t immediately respond to a message.
Earlier this month, 22 people were killed during a mass shooting at another Walmart in El Paso, Texas.
Since then, there have been a number of incidents at Walmart stores around the country.
Last week, prosecutors charged a 20-year-old man with making a terrorist threat after he walked into a Springfield, Missouri, Walmart wearing body armor, carrying a loaded rifle and handgun, and filming himself with a phone.
Man armed with loaded rifle arrested at Missouri Walmart https://t.co/5ondHxHZnf pic.twitter.com/tKoO7NgFeI
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) August 10, 2019
Lt. Mike Lucas said an off-duty firefighter held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived about three minutes after receiving an initial call.
“His intent obviously was to cause chaos here, and he did that,” Lucas added.
NJ Walmart Evacuated
A New Jersey Walmart was evacuated on Aug. 15 after reports of a masked person with a gun surfaced. Police later said the report of a shooter was “unfounded.”
Union Police said they are “monitoring the situation, and can not provide any details because it is an active investigation,” Patch.com reported.
Police evacuated the Walmart in Union Township near Springfield Road near Route 22, reported NJ.com.
Residents said that customers had left their shopping carts and ran out of the store, according to the report.
About 10 police cars were outside the location, another witness said.
Police in Union Township said they’re monitoring the situation, but they didn’t provide any details about the matter.
Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this report.