A Texas grocery store employee was killed after a rifle discharged while he was petting a customer’s dog inside their vehicle, according to the Linden Texas Police Department.
On Sept. 22, officers received a call around 3:30 p.m. about the shooting in the parking lot of the Crump Food Store in the 700 block of West Houston Street. Witnesses told police the employee, Larry Lawrence, 39, of Queen City, Texas, was putting groceries in a customer’s vehicle, and they saw a dog in the back seat and petted it.
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A .22 rifle then discharged, and Lawrence was shot in the chest. The gun was also in the backseat.
Witnesses tried to provide first aid to the victim and paramedics were called. When EMS arrived, they took over trying to perform live-saving measures.
Lawrence was later pronounced dead at the helipad site.
Linden Police Chief David Dulude said the shooting appears to have been accidental but officials are still investigating.
“It is unclear of the means of the discharge at this time,” Dulude said. “We would like (to) relay our deepest condolences to Lawrence’s loved-ones.”