Michigan police probing reports that store shooting stemmed from argument over mask

Police in Flint, Mich., are investigating after a security guard at a Family Dollar store was fatally shot on Friday, with reports on social media indicating that the altercation began over a customer not wearing a face mask.

The Detroit News reported that a police spokesman confirmed at a press conference on Sunday that officials were investigating those reports.

“We’re seeing a lot of these reports on social media, so we’re investigating them,” the spokesperson said. “We’ll talk to all the potential witnesses.”

The victim, a 43-year-old man, died at a local hospital following the shooting. No suspect has been arrested in the shooting thus far, with witnesses telling a local NBC affiliate that the customer involved in the shooting fled to a nearby apartment complex.

Family Dollar stores are among a handful of essential businesses allowed to remain open as most of Michigan’s economy has shuttered during the coronavirus outbreak. An order that went into effect last week allows state businesses to refuse entry to anyone not wearing a mask.