A woman who took a Mississippi Walmart employee hostage was fatally shot on Wednesday by police after a standoff captured on video.
Corlunda McGinister, 21, was shot and killed by police who had entered the Walmart location in Richland, Mississippi where she had taken a store employee hostage. McGinister held a gun at the woman while demanding to speak with a news anchor, officials said.
It is unclear how many shoppers were inside the store when the hostage situation took place, WAPT reported.
Richland Police said in several social media updates that the incident occurred at 5:45 p.m. and that the hostage taker was killed by officers.
A witness who entered the Walmart just as the incident was taking place said that shoppers were in a panic, yelling “Get out” as they fled the store, according to WAPT.
Footage of the incident showed the suspect holding a gun and demanding to speak with a news anchor.
“Hey, give me a news anchor down here right now,” the woman said, holding what appears to be a gun in one hand while using the other to keep the hostage next to her.
“I need help, I need help,” she also said in the clip. “Give me a news anchor down here.”
The woman further said she did not want to hurt anyone. But she ignored police directives to release the hostage.
“I’m not trying to hurt anybody,” the woman repeated. “Give me a news anchor.”
Video of the incident showed police officers making repeated attempts to convince the woman to drop the gun and release her hostage. But she continued to refuse and to ask for a news anchor.
Richland Police Chief Nick McLendon told the news outlet that the hostage situation was “devastating for all parties involved – the officers, everybody that was involved in this situation.”
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)