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A 21-year-old woman from Arkansas was shot and killed by police at a Walmart in Richland, Mississippi, on Wednesday (December 21) night. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said that officers were called to the store after the woman, Corlunda McGinister, took a female employee hostage at gunpoint.
Officers with the Richland Police Department went inside and tried to de-escalate the situation but had to shoot McGinister.
Witnesses told WBLT that McGinister got into an argument with an employee in the customer service department before she pulled out a gun. Officials have not said what sparked the confrontation.
Nobody else was injured during the confrontation.
“It’s devastating for all parties involved. The officers, everybody that was involved in this situation. With the Christmas season coming around, mental health is a big deal because of the stress involved,” said Richland Police Chief Nick McLendon.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case because there was an officer-involved shooting.