A suspect armed with a handgun and a knife was shot and injured Wednesday night, Jan. 19, by at least one sheriff’s deputy inside a Walmart in Foothill Ranch, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said.

The initial call was reported at 9:40 p.m., after people inside the store were believed to be trying to return items they had not purchased, said Carrie Braun, a spokesperson for the OCSD.

Witnesses told investigators that a male, whose age was not immediately disclosed by authorities, did not cooperate with the deputies’ commands and pulled a weapon, which prompted at least one deputy to open fire, Braun said in a statement early Thursday morning.

Two others, a male and female whose ages were not immediately disclosed, ran out of the store, in the 26500 block of Towne Centre Drive near Alton Parkway and the 241 toll road. A deputy saw at least one get into a vehicle, Braun said, and got the license-plate number.

The vehicle was found in Midway City, about 20 miles away, with the male and female detained, Braun said.

The injured suspect was was in surgery early Thursday morning, Braun said. The handgun and knife were found inside the store.

SWAT worked to clear the store past midnight and deputies continued their investigation for any other people of interest potentially involved in the incident. The investigation was ongoing Thursday morning.

Deputies in Lake Forest are equipped with body-worn cameras, Braun said, and authorities planned to release footage from the shooting at a later time. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office was handling the investigation into the shooting, as is customary with deputy-involved shootings.

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