Man Arrested After Alleged Unintentional Gunfire Grazes Woman Inside Fayetteville Walmart

Fayetteville police arrested a man after a concealed handgun was allegedly discharged negligently inside the Walmart on Skibo Road, grazing a woman who did not require medical attention. Police located evidence consistent with a firearm discharge in one of the store aisles and took the suspect into custody at the scene.

Police said the department responded to reports of shots fired shortly after noon on Saturday at the Skibo Road store. Fayetteville police described the injured shopper as having sustained “a superficial graze from the unintentional negligent firearm discharge, which did not require medical attention.” Officers found evidence “consistent with a firearm discharge in one of the store aisles,” and the man was being processed through booking at the Cumberland County Detention Center.

Investigators said an adult male and an adult female were together inside the store when the firearm was discharged. “According to police, the male was in possession of the firearm, which was negligently discharged. Authorities emphasized that the discharge was unintentional, but nonetheless dangerous,” an aggregated scene report said. Police did not immediately release the suspect’s name and said they would disclose his identity at the conclusion of booking.

Authorities are charging the man with “carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm within city limits,” police said. Local officers conducted a sweep of the building to confirm there was no ongoing threat, and scene reports noted that nearly half a dozen police vehicles responded. Despite the investigation, some reporting said the store remained open while officers worked and that shoppers were seen entering and exiting calmly.

For Walmart associates and hourly staff who work store floors and registers, the episode underscores acute safety and operational concerns. Incidents involving firearms raise questions about on-site security protocols, training for handling active or potential active-shooter situations, and the chain-of-command for closing or sheltering the store during police operations. Frontline employees must balance customer service with safety procedures, and managers will likely face pressure to clarify when law enforcement presence triggers temporary closure or an internal lockdown.

This Fayetteville incident is separate from other recent regional Walmart shootings and accidents. A different, earlier case at a Pavilion Parkway Walmart resulted in a conviction and life sentence for a fatal shooting, and a separate accidental self-inflicted gunshot at a Lumberton Super Walmart involved a man who was treated for a non-life-threatening leg wound. Those events are unrelated but add to a broader context of workplace and public-safety challenges at large retail stores.

Fayetteville police are leading the investigation and have said they will release the suspect’s identity after booking. For associates and customers, the immediate priorities are clear: ensure staff know reporting and sheltering procedures, verify whether store security and law enforcement coordination meet local policy, and monitor the police inquiry for any changes to charges or operational recommendations.