Investigators said the teen ran through the store with a gun after a shoplifting report.
POINCIANA, Fla. — An off-duty Osceola County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a 16-year-old during a shoplifting confrontation inside a Walmart on Thursday night, authorities said. The teen was reported to be armed and running through the store when the deputy fired.
The shooting, which unfolded around 8 p.m. at the store on Cypress Parkway, triggered a heavy law enforcement response and sent shoppers and workers scrambling for cover, officials said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating, as is standard in deputy-involved shootings, while the sheriff’s office reviews what led to the fatal encounter.
Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon said the deputy was working off-duty security at the store when a loss-prevention employee alerted him to three people suspected of hiding merchandise in their clothing. Blackmon said the deputy and the store employee moved to meet the group near the front of the store, but the trio ran as they were approached.
Blackmon said one suspect fled toward customers with a gun in his hand. “Our deputy fired downrange at the suspect and took him out,” Blackmon said during a late-night briefing. The sheriff said the suspect died inside the store. No other injuries were reported, and the deputy was not hurt.
By Friday afternoon, authorities identified the person who was killed as a 16-year-old who lived in Poinciana, according to the sheriff’s office. Another local station reported the teen had recently turned 16 on Dec. 30, 2025. Officials did not release the teen’s name in brief public updates.
The shooting happened at a Walmart at 904 Cypress Parkway, a large store in the Poinciana area of Osceola County that serves residents from nearby neighborhoods and commuters passing through the busy corridor. Early reports described the incident as a Kissimmee Walmart shooting, but officials later clarified the location as Poinciana. The store reopened the next morning, opening about an hour later than normal, with customers returning as investigators cleared the scene.
Authorities initially said two other suspected shoplifters ran from the store and were being sought. By Friday, the sheriff’s office said the other two people who were with the teen had been “identified and accounted for.” Officials said one is a juvenile and the other is an adult in his 20s. It was not immediately clear whether either would face charges, or what role each person played in the moments before the deputy fired.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Kim Montes told a local outlet that an off-duty firefighter and another off-duty law enforcement officer happened to be at the store and helped provide cover for the deputy when the shooting occurred. Montes also said shoppers hid inside the store as the situation developed, underscoring the fear and confusion that can spread quickly when gunfire erupts in a crowded retail space.
Investigators have not released details about the firearm authorities said the teen had, including whether it was loaded, whether it was displayed before the group ran, or whether the teen pointed it at anyone. Officials also have not said what merchandise was allegedly taken or how much it was worth, details that can factor into criminal charges in theft cases but do not determine the standards used to review a shooting.
The state investigation is expected to focus on the deputy’s actions, the movement of the suspects and bystanders, and what the deputy perceived in the seconds before firing. Investigators typically collect witness statements, review radio traffic and body-worn or surveillance video when available, and analyze physical evidence, including shell casings and the weapon recovered at the scene. The sheriff’s office said it would not release additional information while the state investigation is underway.
Blackmon said the deputy was “doing fine” after the shooting and emphasized that no customers or employees were injured. The sheriff did not announce any criminal charges related to the shooting. Under agency policy common in Florida, deputies who fire their weapon in an on-duty or off-duty law enforcement action are usually placed on administrative status while outside investigators examine the incident.
For customers who were inside the store, the event unfolded in the ordinary setting of a Thursday night shopping trip, with aisles and checkout lanes turning into a scene of shouting, running and sudden silence, according to accounts relayed by officials. Authorities did not provide a count of how many people were inside at the time, but said the suspect ran toward customers, a point the sheriff highlighted in describing why the deputy fired.
The sheriff’s office did not describe any direct contact between the deputy and the teen before the group ran, nor did officials say whether the deputy gave verbal commands. The FDLE investigation is expected to address those questions, along with the distance involved, the number of shots fired, and whether the deputy had any alternative options once the suspect was running with a gun in hand through an occupied store.
As of Friday afternoon, the FDLE investigation remained active and officials said they would release more information as it became available. The sheriff’s office said the two other people with the teen had been located, leaving the central questions focused on the teen’s actions in the store and the deputy’s decision to use deadly force in a public place.
Author note: Last updated February 20, 2026.