A Florida man was arrested after authorities say he called a Gibsonton Walmart Supercenter and threatened to shoot up the store.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the man, identified as 31 year old Wayne of Valrico, told investigators he was intrigued by the weekend shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas. Managers received the call around 1:17 p.m. from a caller who threatened to enter the store and shoot everyone. Nearly 1,000 shoppers were evacuated and deputies were called.
Five patrol deputies arrived within minutes and searched the store. They found no one hurt and nothing suspicious. The threat was deemed not credible within an hour, and the store reopened at 3:30 p.m., according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies traced the call to Wayne, whose mother reportedly works at the same store. He was arrested around 7 p.m. and charged with felony false report of using a firearm in a violent manner. Authorities said no firearms were found at his home and he had no criminal history.
He was held on $7,500 bail, has since posted it, and is reportedly being evaluated at a local medical facility under the Baker Act. Charges are allegations, and he had not publicly responded at the time of this report.
“These criminals that seek to make us afraid to go shopping, to the movies, concerts, work, and school are nothing but terrorists,” Chronister said. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
Business Insider reported that two Walmart employees were killed the week before in a separate shooting at a Walmart in Southaven, Mississippi.
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