A shooting inside a Kroger store in Cypress left two men in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, sending shoppers running for the exits in panic.
The incident happened around 2:50 p.m. at the Kroger located at 20355 Cypresswood Drive, near Fairfield Meadows Drive.
Harris County Precinct 4 deputies, under Constable Mark Herman, responded within minutes after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire inside the store.
What Investigators Found
When deputies arrived, they found one man walking out of the store with a gunshot wound to the neck. He was detained and is believed to be the shooter. Inside the store, officers located a second man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Both victims were rushed to area hospitals, with one requiring transport by helicopter due to the severity of his injuries.
Capt. Juan Flores with Harris County Precinct 4 said investigators believe only two people were involved in the shooting and that no bystanders were harmed.
Officials say the confrontation appears to have stemmed from a domestic dispute between the two men. Family violence investigators are now handling the case, and charges are expected once the investigation wraps up.
Chaos Inside the Store
Witnesses described terrifying moments as gunfire erupted without warning. Patrick Young, who was shopping in the frozen food section, said he heard popping sounds and screaming before the store descended into chaos.
“I just turned around and ran the opposite direction of the gunfire,” Young said.
He said elderly shoppers and children scrambled toward the exits as panic spread through the aisles. Once outside, Young said he warned others in the parking lot and called 911, praising how fast deputies arrived on scene.
Another witness, Chace Zawacki, said he had just entered the store when he heard a loud boom, followed by several more shots seconds later. He later watched as the suspected shooter was carried out on a stretcher, followed roughly thirty minutes later by the second victim, who appeared to be covered in blood.
Outside the store, other bystanders in the shopping center said they heard the gunfire from nearby buildings and were stunned that such violence broke out in a place they visit almost daily.
Kroger released a statement saying the company is cooperating fully with law enforcement, which has secured the store and parking lot. The location remained closed for the rest of the day as investigators processed the scene, and the company said it has begun offering counseling services to employees affected by the incident.
Authorities are continuing to investigate and have not released the names of either man involved. Anyone with information has been asked to contact Harris County Precinct 4.
