Walgreens: Will Shoot Pregnant Customers, but Won’t Distribute Abortion Pills?

In case you needed a new, terrifying reason not to leave your house, a seven-month pregnant woman was shot by a Nashville Walgreens employee in the store’s parking lot with a semi-automatic weapon because he suspected her of shoplifting. The woman and her child, who had to be delivered by emergency caesarian section, are both in critical condition. Per CBS News:

A Walgreens team leader shot 24-year-old Travonsha Ferguson in the store’s parking lot on Wednesday evening after he followed her out of the store when he was tipped off to the alleged shoplifting, Nashville police said in a news statement. 

Mitarius Boyd, 21, claims he fired his semi-automatic in self-defense because he said “he was in fear” and didn’t know if Ferguson and another woman she was with were armed, police said. 

[…]

As he approached the rear of the car, one of the women pulled out a can of mace and sprayed as Boyd started shooting, according to police.

I’m sorry, what?! First and foremost, I worked in retail. In the cosmetics department specifically. We were trained to never leave the store and follow someone outside of it if we suspected them of shoplifting. That is dangerous and stupid. We were told to call our in-store security who would assess the situation and maybe they’d call the cops. Maybe.

Secondly, why the hell does this man have a semi-automatic weapon on his person at a Walgreens? Does that make you feel safe? It does not make me feel safe. Finally, in what world would you ever fire a gun on someone in a situation you created, especially if they were unarmed?! This is madness.

According to a witness, it sounded like Boyd unloaded his full clip. Per WSMV4:

Wyatt Day was across the street at The Cobra getting ready to perform a live show with his band when the shooting happened.

“The door was open where we were loading in, super loud, and we basically heard like a full clip unload. It was like seven shots, something like that,” Day said. “And literally 10 minutes later, we saw everything being taped off, and police arrive, firetruck and all that. Pretty unsettling.”

According to another news report. The baby was not hit by gunfire but was delivered weighing just 2 pounds and is currently in the NICU. However, Ferguson was shot eight times.

Boyd has since been fired by Walgreens because in this sort of situation, the company has no other recourse. He acted absolutely unhinged and dangerous and may end up killing two people.

Obviously, this is one bad actor but Walgreens has been in the news lately for some terrible policies that paint an awful picture of the company overall. Earlier this year they caved to the GOP and announced that they wouldn’t sell Mifepristone in 20 red states where Republicans threatened legal action against them. Now one of their employees brought a gun to work and shot a pregnant woman. How many policy failures had to happen in order for that to happen?! He brought a loaded weapon to his shift! That is absolutely unacceptable.

Right now Boyd is in a holding pattern as to whether he will face charges. The other woman Ferguson was with at the time of the shooting, who drove her to the hospital, has not yet been found. The whole thing is a mess, and was entirely avoidable had Boyd not brought a gun to work that day.

Walgreens is in damage control mode and has released a statement. Per CBS News:

“The safety of our patients, customers and team members is our top priority, and violence of any kind will not be tolerated at our stores,” Walgreens said. “We take this matter seriously and are cooperating with local authorities.”

I personally cannot wrap my head around why anyone would think they need a gun in order to work their shift at Walgreens. It is completely unnecessary and led to horrific violence against a woman and her then-unborn child. Furthermore, I can’t understand why Walgreens was so quick to have a policy in place regarding Mifepristone but seemingly is so lax about employees bringing guns to their shifts. None of this makes sense. None of it.

(featured image: Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress)