A 21-year-old Pennsylvania man is facing attempted murder and firearm charges after allegedly opening fire inside a crowded Walmart self-checkout area in Glenolden on Friday night, hitting a store employee in the leg.
Armani Waite turned himself in to authorities on Monday following the incident at the store located about 18 miles south of Philadelphia. The Darby Township Police Department reported that the shooting occurred around 7:30 p.m., a peak shopping hour, with roughly 30 people in the immediate vicinity.
According to Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse, the shooting stemmed from a verbal dispute between Waite and another shopper who was checking out items with a friend.
Rouse stated that the other shopper—a legal gun owner with a permit to carry—flashed a handgun in his waistband during the exchange but made no physical threats or aggressive movements toward Waite.
“This could have been an absolute calamity, and the truth of the matter is, it is his own ineptitude that kept this from being a whole lot worse,” Rouse said during a Monday press conference. “There are no less than 30 people around Mr. Waite when, as a result of this argument, he pulls out a gun and fires.”
Rouse added that the targeted shopper was walking away when Waite pulled out a pistol and fired at least three rounds.
“It was not threatening,” Rouse said of the encounter. “Maybe the words spoken back and forth were unpleasant. Maybe they were rude. Obviously, I don’t know. I wasn’t there. But I will tell you there is no basis for him to say I was in fear for my life. He is the aggressor here. Plain and simple.”
The targeted man was not hit, but a female Walmart employee who was not involved in the altercation was struck in the calf. She was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Shoppers inside the store described scenes of panic as store staff directed crowds toward the back of the building. Witnesses reported hearing children screaming and seeing customers hyperventilating during the evacuation.
Investigators used store surveillance footage from inside and outside the building, along with Waite’s register purchase history, to identify him. Police posted on social media that Waite surrendered without incident shortly after being identified.
Waite has been charged with attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of an instrument of crime. A judge set his bail at $1 million.
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