It was reported on Wednesday that Mississippi police shot and killed a woman who was holding a Walmart worker hostage.
According to police and footage of the incident, Corlunda McGinister, 21, was fatally shot by officers inside the megastore’s Richland location. She pleaded with a news anchor while she held onto a petrified worker in the store.
On Wednesday, at about 5:45 p.m., Richland police reported on social media that there had been an “incident at Walmart involving a weapon” around that time. Hours later, Richland police issued a report stating that there had been a “shooting involving officers” inside the store.
There is video circulating online showing a woman with a gun making a specific demand.
“Hey, give me a news anchor down here right now,” the suspect said. As she said this, she held a gun in one hand and held the hostage worker with the other. The footage depicted the woman saying, “I need help, I need help.” She told bystanders, “give me a news anchor down here.”
According to the woman, she did not intend to hurt anyone. During the frightening episode, the woman resisted calls to let the worker go. Police officers repeatedly demanded that she drop her gun as she continued to demand a news anchor to show up.
Chief Nick McLendon of the Richland Police Department told WAPT that the incident was “devastating” for everyone involved.