In an alarming incident, a 13-year-old girl was unexpectedly shot while shopping with her mother at a Walmart store in Aiken, South Carolina. The incident happened on Wednesday night.
Authorities from the Aiken County Department of Public Safety responded swiftly to the distress calls reporting an active shooter around 7:30 p.m. The sequence of events as described by a witness indicates the seemingly random nature of the shooting.
The young victim, identified as Ashton Rickard, was scrutinizing a pair of shorts alongside her mother when an individual approached her and fired a shot. The bullet, as reported, penetrated her arm and lodged in her abdomen, causing serious injuries.
The assailant, Stephen Foreman, a 32-year-old man with no known connection to the victim, was promptly apprehended by the police.
Foreman faces charges of attempted murder, as well as the possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. Despite the arrest, the police have not yet found out the motive behind Foreman’s actions.
Ashton’s aunt, Jamie Hammons, confirmed that the teenager was shot at point-blank range, resulting in her immediate need for surgery. Hammons shared on social media that Ashton may require further surgical intervention.
Ashton’s mother, Ashley Rickard, further informed that the bullet remains lodged in Ashton’s back, and the gunshot broke her arm.