Police shooting at Walmart leaves South Carolina man dead, coroner says
A South Carolina man was killed Sunday during a shooting that involved police at a Walmart, according to the Pickens County Coroner’s Office.
Shawn Elrod, a 33-year-old Easley resident, died at the scene, the coroner’s office said in a news release.
The shooting happened after 7 p.m. inside the Walmart at 115 Rolling Hills Circle, according to the Easley Police Department.
Officers were responding to a call about a person causing a disturbance inside the Walmart, and learned that the Elrod was armed, police said.
Further information about the initial disturbance was not available, but Elrod was armed with a hatchet, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
At the scene, officers located Elrod and although they tried to calm the situation, at least one officer fired their gun, according to police.
SLED said no officers were hurt, and no other injuries were reported.
Police said they asked the SLED to respond to the Walmart and lead the investigation into the shooting. The coroner’s office said it’s also continuing to investigate Elrod’s death.
This was the 14th time this year that a law enforcement officer in South Carolina was involved in a shooting, and the first for Easley police, according to SLED.
