A woman, 42, was fatally shot on Friday, December 20, while in a queue at a bank situated inside a Walmart in Lumberton, North Carolina.
According to the police, a 17-year-old suspect is believed to have discharged a firearm at two specific targets. Of the two suspects, one has surrendered to authorities, while the other is still at large.
Brian Campbell, an 18-year-old suspect, turned himself in to authorities on Monday night. He is currently being held at the Robeson County Detention Center with a bond set at $1 million. Campbell now faces charges of being an accessory after the fact in relation to the death of Brandy Nicole Olson.
Police are still on the hunt for Ezekiel Burden, 17, who is wanted on charges of first-degree murder, discharging a firearm within an enclosure to incite fear, and going armed to the terror of the public.
The fatal shooting took place around 3:45 p.m. at the Woodforest Bank branch located inside the Walmart on Fayetteville Road. The police report that the suspects aimed at two individuals they knew who were also in line at the bank. Olson, who was in the queue, was hit by the gunfire. It is not clear if she was the intended target. Bystanders attempted to provide life-saving measures until emergency services arrived. Olson was then transported to UNC Health Southeastern, where she was later declared dead.
“When he started shooting, the lady ran in front of him,” witness Steven Rumsey informed WNCN.
A shopper in the store captured the incident on their cellphone, recording at least six gunshots. “The scariest s— I have ever experienced!” Kayleann Brooke posted on Facebook. “With all the mass shooting happening I thought my life was over. It’s a feeling I never wanna experience again.”
Olson’s boyfriend, Orlando Farrington, and friend Cyndee Oxendine suggested that she might have been targeted due to a large amount of cash she was carrying at the time. Friends plan to honor her memory with a balloon release at Ruby Tuesdays where she was employed.
John Cantey Jr., a City Councilman, expressed to local ABC affiliate WTVD that his office has received several calls from worried citizens about their safety during the holiday shopping season. “Our citizens are afraid. They are fearful of this holiday season,” he shared.
The investigation involves numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Lumberton Police Department, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and the ATF.
Several other incidents of shootings at Walmart have been reported in recent months.
- In November, in Frisco, Texas, a 22-year-old man was fatally shot at a Walmart located at Eldorado Parkway and FM 423. The 22-year-old suspect was apprehended shortly after the event.
- On September 19, in Farmington, New Mexico a suspect was shot dead, and a woman was injured during a shooting in the parking area of a Walmart on West Main Street. The incident, which took place around 12:30 p.m., led to an ongoing investigation.
- A 71-year-old man was shot dead in the parking lot of a Walmart near the Shops at Boardwalk shopping mall in Kansas City, Missouri in August 2024. A suspect was arrested not far from the scene.
These events underscore the continuing concerns about gun violence in retail locations across the country.
