Knife-Wielding Suspect Causes Marietta Walmart Evacuation

MARIETTA, GA — A Marietta Walmart was briefly evacuated Monday morning after a man allegedly armed with a knife was inside the store. The incident happened just before 8 a.m. when a man and a woman who were involved in a domestic dispute walked into the store, located at 210 Cobb Parkway. Police said the woman asked an employee for help and was waiting at the store's customer service desk when the man, now identified as Jerry Wayne Thompson, 50, allegedly picked up a large kitchen knife and began unwrapping it while moving aggressively toward a store employee.

An evacuation order was then given over the store's loudspeakers. Marietta police took Thompson into custody without incident around 8:07 a.m. Police said initial reports were that the suspect had a gun, which turned out to be false. No one was injured. Thompson is facing misdemeanor charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct.

This Marietta Walmart incident comes just after a mass shooting at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart, when a rifle-wielding gunman killed 20 people and wounded 26 more. A federal law enforcement official who spoke to Patch identified the shooter as Patrick Crusius, 21, of Allen, Texas. Investigators continue to determine whether the mass shooting was a hate crime after a manifesto posted online prior to the attack said the massacre was in response to the "Hispanic invasion of Texas."

Marietta police said they began receiving phone calls about the incident, as well as any potential public threats. "We understand our community is concerned after the horrific shootings that occurred over the weekend in Texas and Ohio," police said in a statement. "We recognize how events like this one could cause the average person anxiety and are working now to organize another Civilian Response to Active Shooter Event (CRASE) training seminar. We applaud Walmart for the coordinated and methodical way they worked with us to ensure everyone’s safety."

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