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Armed man in body armor arrested at Missouri Walmart after firefighter holds him at gunpoint

Posted at 9:05 PM, Aug 08, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-08 21:05:25-04

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Police are investigating after an "armed individual" was arrested at a Missouri Walmart Neighborhood Market on Thursday evening.

The incident happened at 3150 W. Republic Rd., according to a Facebook post from the Springfield Police Department.

Police said the man was wearing body armor and military fatigues when he walked into the store around 4:30 p.m., according to a report from KYTV. He was carrying a rifle, roughly 100 rounds of ammunition and was walking around the store recording video with a cellphone.

"His intent was not to cause peace or comfort ... He's lucky he's alive still, to be honest," Lt. Mike Lucas told KYTV.

A store manager pulled the fire alarm to evacuate shoppers in the store, the report states. An off-duty firefighter held the man at gunpoint until police could arrive and detain him.

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Police said no shots were fired and one was injured. They said they do not believe there is a threat to the public at this time but continue to investigate his motive.