Colonel Bryan White, Chief Criminal Deputy for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, is now telling WBRZ that there were never two guns at the Walmart on Burbank Avenue this morning, but instead a gun and a pair of scissors.
White says two men were at the customer service counter and began exchanging words.
One man told the other "Hey, I've got something for ya" and left the area. He returned holding something "in a gun-like position." The object was not a gun, but a pair of scissors. The first man's position implied that he would stab the other.
The second man drew a gun, and according to White, that is when people started screaming.
The man with the scissors turned to run away as people in the area also started to run away. He dropped the scissors, and as he attempted to pick them up, people started screaming that there was a gun.
The shouting and running then created a chaotic scene in the store.
A woman trying to run from the store with her children made the 911 call.
Deputies are still interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video.
White said that deputies will look at everything. He added that the sheriff's office is planning on releasing a description of the man with the scissors soon, perhaps on Wednesday. They first plan on interviewing the man and getting his statement.
They're confident that the man who pulled the gun was acting lawfully and in self-defense, according to White. He added that he will not be charged.
White said the man who wielded the scissors could potentially face aggravated assault charges.
Read KATC's previous story with earlier updates here.
