A suspected shoplifter detained by a security guard at a Target store in Oceanside Thursday pulled a gun and fired several shots, sending customers and employees fleeing for cover but causing no injuries.
The suspect began struggling and produced the pistol as the loss- prevention officer was escorting him to an office at the store in the 2500 block of South El Camino Real in Oceanside shortly after 1 p.m., according to police.
After firing several shots near the front doors, the man managed to break free and ran outside along with a woman, Lt. Leonard Cosby said. The pair got into a black late-model BMW and sped off to the west on Vista Way.
Authorities evacuated shoppers from the store and searched it to make sure no hazards remained, the lieutenant said. Officers fanned out through the area in search of the shooter and his companion, described only as Hispanics in their 20s.
Surveillance cameras captured images of the unidentified shooter.
The store was reopened to the public in the late afternoon.
