FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — An employee of WinCo Foods in Federal Way is in serious condition after being shot by a customer, according to Federal Way police.
The shooting happened just before 1 p.m. at WinCo Foods on SW Campus Drive, Thursday. Police responded and found the 30-year-old employee with a gunshot wound to his chest. The suspect had left the scene.
According to police, the preliminary investigation found the employee was shot while escorting the suspect out of the building after he was denied purchasing alcohol. The suspect appeared intoxicated, police said.
The employee was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle but is expected to survive, police said.
Police established a perimeter and attempted to track the suspect with a police K9, but said around 2:15 p.m. they were unsuccessful. Just before 11:30 p.m., Federal Way police tweeted a 24-year-old man responsible for the shooting was arrested without incident. The man was booked into King County jail on first-degree assault charges.
The nearby Panther Lake Elementary School was in a safety lockdown during the incident as a precaution, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Federal Way Police Department.