Walmart customer fatally shoots diaper thief

A 19-year-old man was killed and a juvenile girl injured during a confrontation over stolen diapers outside of an Orlando Walmart Saturday morning.

Orange County Sheriff Capt. Angelo Nieves said the armed customer appeared to have acted in self-defense but the incident remains under investigation.

Reports indicate three, possibly four, suspects entered the Walmart Neighborhood Market just after 8 a.m., filled two shopping carts with diapers, then headed out of the door and to the parking lot. There they began unloading the diapers into a vehicle when they were confronted by a Walmart employee.

A nearby customer noticed the confrontation between the group of suspects and the employee and went to assist the employee. Nieves said while the customer was attempting to help the employee, one of the suspects made a motion as if he was reaching for a weapon. Feeling threatened, the customer then pulled a gun and fired at the suspects.

The group immediately got into the vehicle and attempted to flee, but the driver, who had been shot, crashed into at least two vehicles in the parking lot. The driver then got out of the vehicle and ran to a gas station across the street where he pleaded for help. The remaining three suspects jumped out of the vehicle and ran away.

The injured suspect, who was later identified as 19-year-old Arthur Adams, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities learned that the Nissan Rogue driven by the suspects was stolen in a carjacking more than two weeks ago. No additional information on that crime was made immediately available.

Initially, police believed only Adams had been shot, but several hours later a juvenile female showed up at the hospital with a gunshot wound to her leg. She was treated and released. Police say she was apparently sitting inside the vehicle when shots were fired.

The third suspect remains at large. Police say the armed customer is cooperating with the investigation, which is active and ongoing.

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