20-Year-Old Woman Fatally Shot By Ex-Boyfriend At The Walmart Where He Worked

A 20-year-old Georgia lady was fatally shot inside a Walmart on Wednesday by her ex-boyfriend, who then shot himself, police mentioned.

Zoey Nicole Messenger was taken to the hospital in crucial situation together with James Wyatt Nicholas Norton, 26, after the taking pictures on the Walmart the place he labored, the Hiram Police Division mentioned in an announcement. They each died of their gunshot wounds.

In response to police, Norton approached Messenger for a quick dialog that “didn’t look like offended or animated” earlier than pulling out a handgun to shoot her. It’s not clear if he was working on the time of the taking pictures.

Police mentioned that they responded to a report of photographs being fired on the retailer at about 7:22 p.m. and that when officers arrived, individuals had been operating out of the constructing.

Devani Lopez, who was inside the shop on the time, advised Atlanta station WAGA-TV that he ran to the exit as quickly as he heard the second gunshot.

“I ran straight for the automotive,” Lopez mentioned. “I might see everybody operating for his or her lives. Everybody was simply so panicked and scared.”

In accordance Messenger’s social media pages, she had been in a relationship with Norton since 2022. In a Fb publish final week, although, she introduced she’d entered a brand new relationship.

On Fb, family and friends shared their shock over the taking pictures as they remembered Messenger as enjoyable and loving.

In an announcement to HuffPost, a spokesperson for Walmart confirmed that Norton was an affiliate and added that the corporate is doing every little thing it may to assist workers, together with on-site counseling companies.

“We’re grateful for the native first responders and can proceed to work with regulation enforcement throughout their investigation.”