DECATUR, GA – Chaos erupted in a DeKalb County grocery store Saturday when a dispute among acquaintances turned violent, resulting in two bystanders being shot. The scene unfolded at the busy Ingles Market on Rock Bridge Road, a hub for local shoppers.
The altercation, initially verbal, spiraled into gunfire. Witnesses described the sound of multiple shots echoing through the store. Franz Bryce, whose fiancée works at the market, recounted being summoned to the scene by a frantic phone call. He was told that two employees were caught in the crossfire.
Bryce’s fiancée, who quickly responded to the crisis, provided emergency aid to one victim—a produce manager hit in the chest. She applied pressure to the wound using her clothing until paramedics arrived.
Another employee, working in the deli section, suffered a gunshot wound to her hand. Both victims were subsequently taken to a hospital, and their conditions remain undisclosed.
Police reports indicate that the individuals involved in the initial argument were known to each other, but the motives behind the shooting remain unclear. No arrests have been made, and authorities are actively seeking information on potential suspects.
Bryce expressed gratitude that his fiancée was unharmed, though she was visibly shaken and covered in blood from assisting the wounded. “It’s unsettling to witness such violence in a place where people should feel safe,” he remarked.
As investigators work to unravel the details of the incident, the community is left in shock, grappling with the sudden eruption of violence in a familiar setting.
Ingles Market has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident, leaving many in the community awaiting further news from both the store and local law enforcement.