A violent incident occurred at a Walmart store in Aiken, South Carolina, in which a 13-year-old girl was shot while shopping with her mother on the evening of Wednesday, June 7.
The incident took place around 7:30 pm, prompting an immediate response from the Aiken County Department of Public Safety to reports of an active shooter.
Eyewitnesses recounted the frightening event, with one, Kari Johnson, describing how the assailant approached the young girl without any warning and opened fire. The victim, identified as Ashton Rickard by The Augusta Press, sustained serious injuries after being shot in her arm and abdomen. She underwent immediate surgery, with her condition potentially requiring additional procedures.
Law enforcement authorities successfully apprehended the suspect, a 32-year-old man named Stephen Foreman. The police reported that there was no prior relationship between Foreman and the victim. He has been charged with attempted murder, as well as possession of a weapon in the commission of a violent crime.
Investigators have still not established a clear motive behind Foreman’s appalling act. The victim’s mother, Ashley Rickard, described the extent of her daughter’s injuries, revealing that the bullet shattered her arm and is still lodged in her back.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident.
