The sound of gunshots startled shoppers at a Walmart in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday night.
People who had been outside in the parking lot ran inside to take cover after shots were fired into the air during an armed robbery attempt at the Walmart in the 2500 block of West Broward Boulevard, police said.
The commotion started just outside the liquor store just before 7 p.m. That’s when a liquor store employee was walking out the door with a bag of money from the cash register, police said.
A man who was walking in at the same time tried to grab the money bag out of her hands. Two unarmed security guards who were walking out with the employee got into a scuffle with the would-be thief, according to police.
That’s when the robber’s getaway driver, who was waiting nearby in a silver sedan, shot his gun into the air to distract the security guards. The robber let go of the money bag, ran to the getaway car, and they sped off, police said.
Police are searching for the suspects and plan to use surveillance footage from neighboring businesses to help identify them.
No one had serious injuries from the incident. Four people sustained minor injuries but refused medical treatment, police said. The Walmart was closed for the rest of the night.
“As you can imagine this was an extremely stressful event for everyone in the store. Not only for the employees involved but everyone in the store, patrons of the business and other employees who may have caught wind of what was going on and anyone in the parking lot,” said Sgt. Deanna Greenlaw.
Authorities ask anyone who witnessed the incident to contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
