South Columbia Walmart reopens following Sunday night shots-fired incident

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Walmart on Grindstone Parkway in south Columbia is back open Monday morning after a shots-fired incident Sunday night.

Columbia Police officers blocked off the Walmart parking lot with crime scene tape shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday. Customers inside the store were evacuated through a side door into the parking lot at around 7:13 p.m.

One Walmart employee told an ABC 17 News reporter on scene that staff could leave, except those in the grocery section.

Officers and Walmart employees stopped customers from entering.

CPD confirmed there were shots fired; however, police could not confirm if there were victims or if a suspect was in custody.

Eight Columbia Police cars and two University of Missouri ambulances were in the parking lot during the response; one ambulance left with its lights on around 6:55 p.m.

A Crime Scene Investigation van arrived at the Walmart at 7:05 p.m.

Witnesses inside the Walmart at the time of the shooting told ABC 17 News that he was checking out when someone yelled "shots fired," and customers started running to the back of the store.

Around 9:35, officers escorted people to their cars and told them to leave if they were parked in the taped-off areas.

Crime scene tape started coming down at 10:25 p.m.

More information is expected to be released sometime today, according to a spokesperson with the Columbia Police Department.

Check back for updates.