A security guard at a CVS in Fremont, California, died of gunshot wounds Thursday, sustained in an 11 p.m. confrontation with a second person at the store.
The Fremont Police Department has not named either person. The surviving man was hospitalized with stab wounds.
A cashier at the store who didn’t want to be named publicly told Oakland Fox affiliate KTVU that the struggle began when a male customer refused to hand over his backpack to the security guard.
The situation swiftly escalated, with the two people trading profanities and racially charged remarks before shots rang out.
“I heard two gunshots. I looked over and saw the security guard fall down, face flat in front of the electronic section,” the cashier said, adding that the other man had bloody wounds around his neck.
The police didn’t mention if the surviving man has been criminally charged. The case remains under investigation.
“We are cooperating with police in their investigation of the tragic incident that occurred at our store on Fremont Hub. … We are not able to provide or comment on any details of the incident while this investigation is ongoing. … The store is temporarily closed, but nearby CVS locations are continuing to serve our customers and patients,” a CVS spokesperson told Bay Area NBC affiliate KNTV.
