A Walmart employee was killed in a New Orleans store shooting - and it reveals a terrifying reality for retail workers

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A Walmart employee was killed in a New Orleans store shooting - and it reveals a terrifying reality for retail workers
A Walmart employee was killed in a New Orleans store shooting - and it reveals a terrifying reality for retail workers
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  • A Monday shooting in a New Orleans, Louisiana, Walmart store left one employee dead, police confirmed in a press release Tuesday.
  • The shooting occurred at around 6:30 p.m. at the Walmart store on the 4300 block of Chef Menteur Highway.
  • The New Orleans Police Department confirmed in the release Tuesday that Kentrell Bankswas arrested in connection with the fatal shooting.
  • "The loss of our associate is deeply saddening and our hearts go out to their loved ones," Walmart said in a statement. "We are grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement and will do everything we can to support our associates in the wake of this tragedy. We will continue to assist law enforcement during their investigation."
  • A Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, where 22 people died in a mass shooting in August was reopened in November.
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  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
A Walmart employee is dead following a fatal shooting in a Walmart store in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, police confirmed in a press release on Tuesday.

21-year-old Kentrell Banks was arrested in connection with the shooting that occurred at around 6:30 p.m. in the Walmart located on the 4300 block of Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans police confirmed in the release.

Another victim sustained a gunshot wound to the left foot, police said in a press conference that was reported on by NOLA.com.

"This is a very unfortunate incident," New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said during the press conference, noting that there were hundreds of customers in the store at the time.
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Police have determined that the victim of the shooting was targeted and that the incident was not a random act of violence, according to the press release.

"The loss of our associate is deeply saddening and our hearts go out to their loved ones," Walmart said in a statement. "We are grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement and will do everything we can to support our associates in the wake of this tragedy. We will continue to assist law enforcement during their investigation."

The incident is the latest in a string of shootings to take place at Walmart stores across the country.

In July, a shooting in Southaven, Mississippi, left two Walmart employees dead and a police officer injured. The suspect was a suspended Walmart employee.

A Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, where 22 people died in a mass shooting in August was reopened in November. A few days later, three people were fatally shot outside an Oklahoma Walmart store.
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In response to the shootings in in El Paso and Southaven, Walmart announced changes to its gun-sales and open-carry policies in September. The company asked customers not to carry firearms in its stores and said it planned to end sales of handgun ammunition and some rifles.

A Walmart employee was killed in a New Orleans store shooting - and it reveals a terrifying reality for retail workers

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