Woodbridge Walmart Jewelry Counters Smashed, Man Shot

Update

The name of the man police said smashed a jewelry counter at a Walmart store in Woodbridge has been released. Here’s in a statement from Prince William police: 

Update | Shooting Investigation:  On November 6th, Prince William County Police charged the accused in the shooting incident at the Wal-Mart located on Worth Avenue.

 Arrested on November 6th:  [No photo available]

 Mohamed Sankoh, 21, of 420 Bernstein Dr in Fayetteville, NC

 Charged with Destruction of Property in excess of $1000

 Court date: 12/01/2014 | Status: Mr. Sankoh remains in the hospital in stable condition.

 The law enforcement agency involved in the shooting has been identified as United States Secret Service Uniformed Division.

 The investigation continues.

Witness hid inside Walmart store

Witnesses at a Walmart store in Woodbridge said they heard what sounded like five crashing sounds on Thursday afternoon.

Then everyone started running out of the store.

Gunshots rang out in the parking lot on Worth Avenue next to Potomac Mills mall at 4:33 p.m. 

Police said the man walked into the store, went to a jewelry counter, then took out a hammer and began smashing the glass jewelry case. The man fled the store afterward, and it’s not yet clear if he made off with any merchandise. 

Outside, an off-duty police officer confronted the man, told him to stop and then shot him.

“The man ignored those commands and was subsequently shot. Officers arrived at the scene and detained the man without further incident,” Prince William police spokesman Jonathan Perok stated. 

The man was flown to a hospital from the parking lot of nearby Gar-Field Senior High School. It’s unclear how injured the man is.

Police are working a crime scene in the parking lot of the store. Yellow police tape is strung across two areas of the parking lot – one in front of the store and another in the portion of the lot closest to Worth Avenue.

Investigators are focused on two cars and are looking for shell casings that might have landed on the pavement. Prince William police said they were preparing a statement with full details on what happened here.

Hoda Helmy of Woodbridge was shopping when gunshots rang out. When a stampede went for the front door, she ran into a back room.

“I stayed in the room for 15 minutes before someone came back and told us it was OK to go outside,” said Helmy.

Helmy said police kept her and others inside the store during a police search for the shooter. Police eventually told those inside an arrest had been made and that it was OK to come out, she added.

The Walmart sits next to a Sam’s Club. Both are busy shopping destinations in Woodbridge.

Tonight, many onlookers stand in the parking lot taking photos with cell phones and asking each other if they knew what happened. It’s a similar scene at nearby Gar-Field Senior High School where a helicopter landed to fly the victim to a hospital. A football game was in progress on the field when the helicopter landed.