Springfield, Mo. – A few days after the El Paso Walmart shooting a ma walked into a Walmart in Springfield, Missouri, decked out with a loaded rifle, body armor, military fatigues, and over 100 rounds of ammunition. He’s not the first person to walk into a Walmart carrying a gun since the Texas shooting, and it’s likely that he won’t be the last.
A Threat
Dmitriy N. Andreychenko, 20, didn’t hurt anybody, he didn’t fire his gun or shout or do anything at all. He just walked into a Walmart in Springfield, wearing military fatigues and body armor while carrying a gun. [1] In Missouri it is legal to carry a firearm openly, as long as you aren’t displaying the gun in an angry or threatening manner.
So did Andreychenko’s act of filming himself pushing a cart around the store warrant his arrest?
A store manager pulled a fire alarm after seeing the man and the rise he was getting out of other shoppers. Andreychenko tried to head towards an emergency exit, but a firefighter held him at gunpoint until the police arrived.
🚨UPDATE: 🚨
At 4:10 p.m. SPD were dispatched to 3150 W. Republic Rd. to a Walmart Neighborhood Market. An armed white male in his twenties was detained by an armed off-duty fireman until officers arrived on scene and took the suspect into custody. More: https://t.co/IZcH3Hn8GV— Springfield PD (@SGFPolice) August 9, 2019
The Springfield Police Department could not confirm statements said by the man to those inside of the Walmart, but they did say that the man had loaded weapons and over 100 rounds of ammunition. “His intent obviously was to cause chaos here, and he did that,” Springfield Police Lt. Mike Lucas told the News-Leader. “His intent was not to cause peace or comfort to anybody that was in the business here. In fact, he’s lucky he’s alive still, to be honest.” [2]
Although his motives are unclear, Andreychenko has been charged with making a terrorist threat and there is an ongoing investigation as to what his intentions were.
Not the First
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first Walmart fright since the El Paso shooting less than a week ago. Walmart’s in Florida, Louisiana, and Washington have all experienced active shooter threats since Sunday. On Thursday, a man in Port St. Lucie, Florida walked into Walmart and asked a Walmart clerk if they could sell him a gun that would kill 200 people. He later insisted that it wasn’t serious and that he’s a gun violence prevention activist. “I’m in a Walmart a few days after El Paso and I’m seeing a white nationalist looking guy purchase a gun and I got mad,” [3] the man said, continuing by saying he was trying to make a point.
Some Walmart employees have said that they believe Walmart should stop stocking firearms, especially assault weapons but Walmart has no plans to comply. Instead, Walmart has begun removing displays for “violent” video games from across their stores.
Notes:
- ^Keegan, Harrison. “Police: Man with rifle, bulletproof vest arrested at Walmart store.” Springfield News-Leader, 9 Aug. 2019, www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2019/08/08/police-man-rifle-bulletproof-vest-arrested-walmart-store/1961019001. (go back ↩)
- ^“Off-duty firefighter stops man armed with 100 rounds of ammunition at south Springfield, Mo. Walmart.” https://www.wave3.com, 9 Aug. 2019, www.wave3.com/2019/08/09/off-duty-firefighter-stops-man-armed-with-rounds-ammunition-south-springfield-mo-walmart. (go back ↩)
- ^Kjct. “Fla. man asks Walmart for gun that could ‘kill 200 people’ to make a point, he says.” 9 Aug. 2019, www.kjct8.com/content/news/Fla-man-asks-Walmart-for-gun-that-could-kill-200-people-to-make-a-point-he-says-529262321.html. (go back ↩)
