What began as a routine shopping trip for Lisa Andreone and her family Tuesday quickly turned to terror when a heated confrontation at the front of the Unicity Walmart threatened to explode in deadly violence.
She said one of the people involved had a gun.
“We were just coming into the Walmart, I was putting my son into the cart,” Andreone said. “I heard a commotion and I turned around to see a woman being grabbed at the arms by a man, who I assume was loss prevention or undercover security,” she said. “They were right by the exit to the store.”
She said another man, who she estimated to be in his late teens or early 20s, was standing between the doors, yelling at the guard to release the woman.
A third young woman was also nearby. Andreone wasn’t sure if she was connected to the incident but recalled seeing her leave in the direction of the store’s washrooms after the young man spoke to her.
“Then I saw the young guy who was between the two doors had a gun and was pointing it at the loss-prevention person, telling him to let the girl go,” Andreone said.
She quickly fled to the back of the store with her children and her mother.
Police have scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference to provide details on the incident.
Andreone saw six or seven police vehicles parked near the store’s front entrance when she finished shopping. She said there were no announcements made to customers and business in the store appeared to continue as usual.
“I was quite shaken by the incident, and I don’t feel as comfortable going into the store or bringing my kids with me,” Andreone said. “We live quite close to the store, so we are there one to two times a week.
“I have never feared for my safety in this Walmart or in St. James in general, but that has changed now. We were thinking about moving outside of the city, and this may be a big factor in the final push to move.”
Tuesday’s incident comes amid a sharp rise in retail thefts across Winnipeg. Police data show reported cases jumped 41.1 per cent in 2024, climbing from 6,047 in 2023 to 8,530 last year.
Despite optimism from retailers earlier this year that theft trends were starting to improve thanks to increased enforcement and reporting, violent encounters remain common.
Just last week, a Winnipeg police officer sustained minor injuries after confronting a man accused of stealing from a Donald Street store. A knife fell from the suspect’s waistband during the struggle.
The officer had been flagged down by a store staffer after a man allegedly took items and left the store without paying. The suspect physically assaulted the officer, according to police, and a knife fell from his waistband.
In another case a week prior, a security guard at a Stafford Street No Frills was nearly stabbed after stopping a man suspected of trying to leave with stolen meat. The guard escaped the blade but was punched in the face.
In both cases, the suspects were arrested, charged and held in custody.
Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said Wednesday the province is stepping up its response to retail crime, engaging a task force of retailers and reviewing Manitoba’s Private Investigator and Security Guard Act, which requires both private investigators and security guards to be licensed.
“So that it’s up to date, and that security guards have the tools that they need to de-escalate the situation and keep the public safe,” Wiebe said, noting the government is also exploring ways to expand security guard powers. “Helping them get the right training, but also helping them understand what their rights and responsibilities are as private security in a retail setting.”
Wiebe added that wait times for security guard licences have been reduced to about a week — a significant improvement, he said, from delays under the previous Tory government.
scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca
Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott.
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