Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said management wanted the man to leave the store prior to the shooting.
“We do not know exactly why right now they wanted that individual gone,” he said. “I can tell you that the individual was covered pretty heavily with a face mask and other things like that.”
A security guard approached the man and asked him to leave.
“At that point the individual produced a handgun, and the security officer produced his handgun and fired rounds,” Streck said.
The man was taken to the hospital and was responsive on Thursday afternoon. The sheriff said he has not been cooperative.
The man did not fire any shots during the incident.
“We do not know if the gun malfunctioned, or it didn’t have a round in it at this point,” Streck said.
The shooting took place close to the store’s entrance.
A 911 caller told Montgomery County Regional Dispatch she was near the registers when she heard eight to 10 shots, according to dispatch records.
She said there were two security guards in the front entrance area with a man.
“He’s still fighting them even though he’s been shot,” she added.
Another 911 caller reported hearing six to eight shots before he headed to the back of the store.
“We have a decent amount of witnesses that witnessed the whole event,” the sheriff said. “They all agree that the individual who was shot pulled the weapon first. They believe he tried to fire the gun.”
Between the number of employees at Kroger and Halloween morning shoppers, Streck said it was a chaotic scene and took a while to settle things down.
“In this day and age when you start hearing shots you don’t know if you’re in an active shooter situation, so it just puts people in a higher state of panic,” he said.
No other injuries were reported.
“In reality we were very lucky that the security officer did not hit anybody else or that the suspect did not hit anybody,” Streck said.
The security guard is from a third-party company that contracts with Kroger. Streck said the sheriff’s office has requested any video that the security company has of the incident. Kroger is cooperating with investigators.
A Kroger spokesperson said the company is deeply saddened by the incident but thankful no customers or associates were injured.
“The store will remain closed while the police investigation continues, and we have initiated counseling services for our associates,” the spokesperson said. “To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are referring questions to local law enforcement.”
Multiple people who live near the Kroger mentioned in interviews an incident from May 30 of this year during which a pharmacy employee at the Kroger was pistol-whipped during a robbery.
Katina Johnson, an Allstate insurance agent who has an office on Siebenthaler Avenue near the Kroger, said she shops at the store multiple times every week.
Johnson said the Kroger has a significant security presence and overall the store is clean and has a decent selection. But she said the area has been on the decline for years, and that has impacted the store.
“I generally stopped feeling safe in this area about seven or eight years ago,” she said. “I’m here early in the morning, and my husband does not like me to be here by myself.”
Johnson said there are too many vacant buildings around that attract problem activities, like trespassing and squatters.
Johnson said the Kroger installed an enclosure several years ago that is designed to stop people from stealing common household products, including diapers and detergent. Customers must pay for items in the enclosed area before they can resume shopping in the rest of the store.
She also said the store’s shopping carts are equipped with devices that lock them in place when they are moved too far from the store and parking lot.
John Cammon, 64, who lives on Siebenthaler near Kroger, said the store has multiple armed security officers that keep guard near the entrance of the store and sometimes patrol the parking lot and property.
He said people often loiter and cause problems at gas stations on Siebenthaler a short drive from the Kroger store.
Mike Simpson, 63, who lives down the street from the Kroger store, said he shops there about twice a week and he has never felt unsafe or seen any major problems. He said he’s been going there since it opened.
Simpson said the nearby gas stations and a now-closed convenience store have had bigger problems with safety.
Multiple people told the Dayton Daily News they do not believe this shooting will have much impact on the perception of safety or the foot traffic the store sees.
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