Argument leads to fatal shooting at Georgia city's Walmart

FORSYTH, Ga. (AP) — A teenager is dead and another one is in custody after an argument inside a Walmart ended in gunfire.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said a 17-year-old fatally shot Cedric Mayes, 17, after an argument Sunday that started in the produce section of the Forsyth, Georgia, store. The fight continued into the frozen food area where the suspect pulled out a gun and shot Mayes multiple times, authorities said.

“I think a lot of teens, when they have these firearms that readily available, they come up with a permanent solution to what is, at best, a temporary problem,” Sheriff Brad Freeman told WMAZ-TV.

No other injuries were reported.

Freeman said investigators don't yet know where the suspect got the gun but he said such violence needs to stop.

“When they do something foolish like this, it’s going to have an effect on their life for the rest of their lives,” Freeman said.

According to a deputy's report obtained by The Telegraph, the suspect told investigators that the gun used in the shooting was in his pants . The type of pistol was not described in the report, but it was said to be “loaded (with) bullets in the magazine.”

The suspect also told deputies that the other teen had “tried to shoot me first,” according to the report.

It remained unclear Monday what prompted the deadly confrontation inside the store. Charges against the teen are pending. It was not immediately known if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Christopher Andrews told WMAZ-TV that knows everyone in Forsyth, which he called “a small town.”

“I’m very shocked, heartbroken by the situation,” he said.

He said he always knew the teens to be friends, and that this is the last thing he expected.

“I’ve watched them grow up over the years, just different situations where I’d run into them. It’s never anything bad out of either, more so guidance when I talk to either of them,” Andrews said.

Andrews said he's praying for both families, “that they have strength during this, because I know it's hard for both of them.”