Crime & Safety
Shooting Victim Found at Palatine Wal-Mart When Police Investigate Gunfire Report
UPDATED: The bleeding 19-year-old man was taken to the hospital after officers found him in front of the Rand Road store Tuesday.
PALATINE, IL — A 19-year-old man was found shot and bleeding, and at least three people were taken away in handcuffs after Palatine police responded to a report of gunfire at Wal-Mart on Rand Road, according to reports.
The shooting victim was taken by ambulance to Lutheran General Hospital, and his condition was unknown, but he was conscious at the scene, according to WGN News. It is unclear whether the man had been shot at the store or if he ended up there later.
A 911 call concerning gunshots inside Wal-Mart, 1555 N. Rand Road, came in at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, according to the Daily Herald. When officers arrived, a witness says they entered the store, guns drawn, and demanded that three young men near the jewelry counter drop to the ground, the report added.
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According to the witness, police then handcuffed the men and took them away, the Herald reports. Police later said that they did not find the shooter in the store and would not comment if any suspects had been arrested, the report added.
Palatine PD: 1 person shot outside Walmart, victim told police suspects inside, police did not find anyone.
— newsburrow (@newsburrow) February 8, 2017
Although the initial call was about a shooting at Wal-Mart, police believe that shots were actually fired at another location, and participants from the shooting found their way to the store after, according to the Herald.
Find out what's happening in Palatinefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A photo taken by WGN, however, shows yellow police markers in the store parking lot that are similar to markers used to indicate crime scene evidence, such as shell casings, bullets lodged in the ground or blood.
2 Walmart employees tell me they saw 3 run into store after shooting...911 called, police removed 3 in cuffs...palatine pd not confirming pic.twitter.com/mEvsn7PJQl
— newsburrow (@newsburrow) February 8, 2017
Police tape blocked off Wal-Mart's south entrance, cordoning off a a blood-stained shirt and sidewalk area, according to both the Herald and WGN. The store's north entrance stayed open for customers to continue shopping.
1 shot in Palatine Walmart parking lot pic.twitter.com/HT9H6iFvjt
— newsburrow (@newsburrow) February 8, 2017
Anyone with information concerning Tuesday's incident should call the Palatine Police Department at 847-359-9000.
More via the Daily Herald and WGN News
Patch will continue to update this story.
UPDATED (11:04 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7)
photo via Shutterstock
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