HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Plant City Police Department (PCPD) got a call on Friday night regarding a man seen loading a firearm at the Walmart Supercenter store's Garden Center.
While the officers searched the entire store, store management evacuated the building.
No one was were discovered despite extensive searches, and no reported injuries were reported.
The store, according to PCPD, was secured. On security footage, officers saw a man trying to steal a BB gun from the Sporting Goods area while wearing a white tank top and a black mask.
The man was seen on camera possibly loading the BB gun with BB pellets, police said.
During a store search, officers located a black rifle-style BB gun on a shelf outside its packaging box.
A package of BB pellets was found nearby, torn open and scattered about.
According to authorities, the suspect was attempting to steal the BB gun and was loading it when he was discovered and the police were contacted.
PCPD said as the store was being evacuated, the male abandoned the BB gun and fled the store via the General Merchandise entrance and into a silver or white vehicle, possibly a mid-2000s Nissan Sentra or similar vehicle, with a woman who was wearing a blue bandana and a blue, short-sleeve t-shirt with "New York" across the front of the shirt.
The two suspects were seen entering Walmart together.
Upon investigation, the police found no evidence to support that anyone entered the Walmart with a rifled firearm and posed a threat to any patrons in the store.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Plant City Police Department is seeking assistance from the public in identifying the two subjects seen in the photos. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Plant City Police Department at (813) 757-9200.
