Man, Woman Dead, 2 Officers Injured in Alabama Walmart Shooting

A man and a woman were shot in killed at a Walmart location in Talladega, Alabama, on Nov. 21, according to reports. Google Street View

A man and a woman were shot in killed at a Walmart location in Talladega, Alabama, on Nov. 21, according to reports.

The Talladega Police Department said it received a 911 call for assistance about a possible kidnapping at a nearby Chevron gas station across the street, AL.com reported. Police quickly made contact with the man believed to be involved with a possible abduction of a woman.

The suspect fired on the officers, the officers returned fire, and the suspect died, said State Bureau of Investigation Lt. Jon Riley. An officer was shot in the incident and was airlifted to the UAB Hospital’s Trauma Center. Officials say he’s expected to be fine.

A second officer was also injured, but not by gunfire, said Riley.

The suspect was found dead at the scene. The reported kidnapping victim was also found in the suspect’s vehicle, AL.com reported.

A man and a woman were shot in killed at a Walmart location in Talladega, Alabama, on Nov. 21, according to reports. Google Street View

Riley said they’re not sure if the suspect, who was not named, and the victim, who also was not named, knew one another before the incident.

Riley issued a longer statement to WKRG: “Just after 4:30 this morning, I received a call of a possible abduction or possible kidnapping. Police responded quickly and made contact with the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle fired on the police officers and they returned fire. One officer was shot and airlifted to UAB hospital, another officer was injured and was transported to a local hospital. The subject involved is deceased. There is another subject that has not been identified that is also deceased. A firearm has been recovered from the scene.”

Violent Crime Down in 2017

In September 2018, the FBI said Americans committed fewer violent and property crimes in 2017, according to statistics. The violent crime rate—including offenses such as murder, robbery, and aggravated assault—dropped by almost one percent and is still about 4 percent above the 2014 rate. The murder rate dropped by 0.7 percent.

“After historic increases in violent crime in 2015 and 2016, we are beginning to see encouraging signs,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement at the time. “But our work is not done. While we have made progress, violent crime and drug trafficking continue to plague our communities and destroy the lives of innocent, law-abiding Americans.”

Of the estimated 17,284 murders in 2017, more than half occurred in larger cities—with populations of more than 100,000.

There are fewer than 300 such cities in the United States, and while they account for less than 30 percent of the country’s population, many of them contribute far beyond their share to national crime rates and have done so for years, even decades.

While the national murder rate inched down to 5.3 per 100,000 residents, it spiked by 15 percent in Philadelphia, to a rate of more than 20 per 100,000 residents. Columbus, Ohio, saw a massive 54-percent murder rate increase, reaching nearly 16.3 per 100,000 residents.

The murder rate in St. Louis rose by more than 10 percent and reached 66 per 100,000 residents—the highest among larger cities.

Baltimore’s murder rate rose by nearly 8.5 percent, reaching some 56 per 100,000 residents.

Petr Svab and Reuters contributed to this report.