Armed Hostage-Taker|Killed at Texas Wal-Mart

AMARILLO, Texas (CN) — With the nation still reeling from the slaughter of 49 people at an Orlando nightclub, Amarillo police Tuesday shot and killed an armed employee at a Wal-Mart who barricaded himself and took hostages in a workplace dispute.

Police say Mohammad Moghaddam, 54, entered the store Tuesday morning with a handgun, fired at least one shot at the ceiling and took a hostage to an office in the back of the store. They called it a "workplace violence" event.

"No further shots were fired after the initial shot," police said in a statement. "The SWAT team continued a search of the store for the barricaded gunman. At about 12:20 p.m., SWAT officers saw what they believed was the only hostage come out of the office. SWAT officers entered the room and saw that there was a second hostage at that time. The suspect was still armed with a handgun and was a threat to the hostage and the officers. Two SWAT officers fired shots which hit the suspect."

Police said there is "no indication" the shooting was related to the Orlando massacre. They said it appeared to be a dispute over a promotion and that the first hostage was Moghaddam's manager.

Wal-Mart confirmed that all customers and both employee hostages are safe.

"This was a very difficult situation and we are thankful for the quick response from law enforcement," Wal-Mart said in a statement.

The first hostage was store manager Glen Jones, the Amarillo Globe-News reported. He has worked at the store since 1992, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Follow @davejourno

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit