(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

By Troy Gillard and Sheldon Spackman

BREAKING

NOW: Heavy police presence in south Red Deer

Dec 20, 2019 | 8:01 PM

A 69-year-old man is dead after he was shot at the Walmart Supercentre in south Red Deer.

Cst. Shelly Nasheim with Alberta RCMP says the man was shot in the entrance to the store at around 6:45 p.m. Friday.

The victim died after he was rushed to hospital with what was described as a serious chest injury. His name has not been released.

Nasheim says the shooting was targeted and that police believe there was just one shooter. However, they were looking for two vehicles of interest that were spotted leaving the scene. No further suspect information has been released at this time.

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No one else was injured in the incident, according to RCMP, despite speculation on social media of multiple victims.

A woman who was inside Walmart during the incident spoke to rdnewsNOW.

“I didn’t see anything, but a guy, a manager or someone, was coming over the intercom every five minutes letting people know that the store was locked down. Nobody really knew why,” she said.

“Then there were some people that tried getting out but then came back in because they said the store was just surrounded by cop cars,” she added. “People were saying that someone was shot, that there were multiple gunmen, and that we couldn’t leave.”

Katherine Brownrigg works at the Walmart in north Red Deer and was shopping in the south store while things unfolded.

“I heard the manager announce that we were under lockdown. I heard ‘code yellow,’ which I know means violence,’ she explained, “so I knew something was going on, but I didn’t know what.”

RCMP will have completed their work at the crime scene by 12:00 p.m. noon (Saturday) at which point owners can retrieve their vehicles left behind Friday night. Walmart has resumed normal working hours and is now open for business.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Red Deer RCMP at 403-391-4034, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), visit www.P3Tips.com or use the “P3 Tips” mobile app.