Scottsdale Albertsons shooting ends in the death of a man, hospitalization of another
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A man is dead and another is in critical condition after a shooting inside a Scottsdale Albertsons grocery store on Tuesday night.
The Aug. 6 shooting happened in the area of Scottsdale and Thomas roads around 5:45 p.m., police said.
Scottsdale Police said three people were involved in an argument outside Albertsons. They went inside the store and that's when the shooting happened near self-checkout.
Two men were shot. Police say one man collapsed toward the front of the store, and the other man walked out of the store and was later found at the back of Albertsons.
The next day, Scottsdale Police said one of the men died, and the other remains in the hospital. The man who died was identified as 35-year-old Robert Padilla from Phoenix.
Scottdale Police say two handguns were found at the scene. No suspects are being looked for.
"Detectives responded to the crime scene and worked through the night to interview witnesses and collect evidence. Detectives are still looking into whether the two shooters knew each other prior to this incident. The third man was located by detectives and interviewed," PD said.
The department adds, "This shooting is being investigated as an isolated incident between the three men who were engaged in a verbal interaction that ended in a shooting. There is no ongoing threat to the community or any indication this was a planned or coordinated active shooter incident. This is still an ongoing investigation."
Witnesses recall moments after shooting
"I saw this individual go around the corner, and then he dipped towards the back of the store," a witness named Todd said. "People were flooding out about this time. It seemed like it was a long time. I heard multiple rounds go off on a different caliber."
Another witness said, "That's all I cared about … I heard the shots … when you hear them, you start running, and hopefully you're not running in the direction they're coming from. That's all you got to hope for."
"It never happens here"
Jason Lu, who works at a nearby store, Just Relax, said that situations like that don't happen at that plaza. Other workers from nearby stores were also in shock.
"No, no, it never happens here," Lu said.
"It was a little chaotic," added Somaleen Von who has been working at Chada Thai for six years. "We had customers come in feeling a little frantic because there were cops everywhere."