Two men allegedly stealing Pokémon cards and pizza in a Florida Target led to a shooting.
Fox 35 reports that Osceola County deputies opened fire on the two suspects outside a Kissimmee location on Wednesday night when the men, 18-year-old Michael Gomez and 19-year-old Joseph Lowe were seen walking into the store with masks and stuffing the items in a bag.
Someone reported the incident to the police, who said the two men pulled up in a suspicious vehicle, with authorities arriving at the scene at around 7 p.m.
The deputies tried to “takedown” the men upon their exit, which ended in the shooting. It’s unclear why the officers felt the need to draw their weapons on the suspects.
Gomez and Lowe were transported to a hospital and later charged with petty theft. Police also revealed that they had apprehended four suspects and that three of those people were hurt and one died. The name of the person who died and the third arrested suspect hasn’t been named. The extent of their involvement in the incident is unknown.
“I believe my deputies are justified in all their actions. I have the utmost—200% trust—in everything they do based on their training and their experience,” Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez told the news outlet. “Things escalate. This is the real world.”
