Family Dollar worker shoots customer 15 times in altercation, witness says

PHOENIX (KPHO/Gray News) - Authorities in Arizona say a store employee at a Phoenix-area Family Dollar shot a customer multiple times.

KPHO reports that Phoenix police responded to a Family Dollar location Wednesday night for reports of a shooting.

Officers said they found a man shot multiple times outside of the store and the suspected shooter, 24-year-old Kevin Ignacio Salas Madrid, with an empty gun next to him.

According to court documents, Madrid identified himself to police as the shooter and that the man shot was an alleged repeated shoplifter. Madrid was an employee at the store.

Authorities said Madrid told police that he saw the man walk into the store and confronted him, telling the man to get out of the store.

A witness told police he overheard Madrid and the man arguing. The witness said the man closed his left fist and hit Madrid in the face, knocking off his eyeglasses. That’s when Madrid allegedly pulled out a gun and shot at the man at least ten times. When the man fell to the ground, Madrid walked closer and fired more shots at him.

A store employee said they heard a total of 15 shots in the altercation. They reportedly asked Madrid what happened, and he responded that he could not control his anger.

Police said Madrid told them that he didn’t see any weapons on the man and that the shooting was “egregious.”

According to authorities, Madrid was arrested and booked into jail on an attempted second-degree murder charge.