Grocery store employee fatally shot while petting customer’s dog, Texas cops say

A grocery store worker was shot and killed, seemingly by accident, while loading bags into a customer’s vehicle, Texas police say.

Officers responded to the parking lot of Crump Foods in Linden at about 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 and found a man with a gunshot wound, the Linden Texas Police Department said in a news release.

Investigators say 39-year-old Larry Lawrence was helping a customer with their groceries, placing bags in the back seat of their vehicle, the department said. The customer’s dog was also in the back seat — along with a .22 rifle — and while Lawrence was petting the dog, something caused the rifle to fire, striking him in the chest, police said.

First responders were “immediately called,” and witnesses attempted lifesaving measures while paramedics made their way to the scene, police said.

Lawrence was pronounced dead at a helipad site, according to the release.

“We lost a fine young man,” the grocery store said in a Facebook post. “We ask for prayers for this young man’s family.”

Police did not say what caused the gun to fire, but an investigation is underway.

The town of Linden is roughly 190 miles east of Fort Worth.

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