An Arizona woman allegedly shot an ACE Hardware employee on Saturday while opening fire on a suspected shoplifter who was fleeing the store.
Phoenix police said Nya Reyes, 45, accidentally shot the male worker as he tried to apprehend the shoplifting suspect outside of the store. The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived, and officers arrested Reyes on suspicion of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm within city limits, according to the Arizona Republic.
Reyes allegedly told police that she was walking her dog in the vicinity when she saw two people fleeing from the ACE Hardware store. KTVK and KPHO reported that one of the people was the shoplifting suspect while the other was the store employee.
Reyes allegedly fired two shots as the shoplifting suspect began to drive off. She admitted to firing two “stop shots” at the car in an attempt to get it to stop without injuring anyone, according to KNXV and KASW.
The injured ACE Hardware employee was reportedly shot in the knee and was hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries. Police have not said whether they have apprehended the shoplifting suspect.
