A violent incident occurred at a Walmart store in Aiken, South Carolina, in which a 13-year-old girl was shot while shopping with her mother on the evening of Wednesday, June 7.

The incident took place around 7:30 pm, prompting an immediate response from the Aiken County Department of Public Safety to reports of an active shooter.

Those present during the incident described scenes of terror, including Kari Johnson, who provided an account of the armed assailant targeting the adolescent girl without any indication or provocation. The young victim, revealed to be Ashton Rickard by The Augusta Press, incurred significant harm from bullets in her arm and stomach, necessitating emergency surgical intervention. Her medical status is serious, with additional operations possibly needed in the future.

Law enforcement officials were able to take the alleged shooter into custody, identified as 32-year-old Stephen Foreman. The police reported no prior association between Foreman and the young victim. He is facing charges including attempted murder and possession of a firearm during the execution of a violent crime.

The motive behind this heinous crime remains unclear as investigators continue to analyze the situation. Ashley Rickard, the victim’s mother, shared the harrowing details of her daughter’s injuries, noting that one of the bullets shattered her arm and is still lodged in her back. The ongoing investigation by the authorities continues to unravel the shocking event.