Woman Shot and Injured Following Dispute Over 21 or 22 Cents

A woman was shot in the parking lot of a Natchez, Mississippi, Walmart as a result of an altercation between two men over 21 or 22 cents.

Michael Shawn Coon, 52, accompanied by the woman, was in the process of purchasing items in the self-checkout line on Saturday night when the machine allegedly shorted him, Natchez Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said, according to The Natchez Democrat newspaper.

Coon began swearing, Daughtry said. In an attempt to resolve the situation without further incident, the man behind the duo offered to make up the difference. The three then left the store so the man could retrieve a quarter from his car.

Their relationship soured over the course of the brief walk to the parking lot and Coon charged at the man with a knife, prompting him to pull out a gun, Daughtry said. The woman then pulled out a gun and put a round in the chamber before pointing it at the man, Daughtry said.

In what Daughtry characterized as an apparent act of self-defense, the man then shot her multiple times. She was taken to a hospital in the city of Jackson. Her condition was not released.

In response to reports of a shooting, officers with the Natchez Police Department, the Adams County Sheriff's Office and the Mississippi Highway Patrol arrived at the Walmart around 9 p.m. and attempted to arrest Coon, according to the Democrat. However, he allegedly resisted by punching, kicking and attempting to reach for his knife, according to WLBT.

While Coon was eventually apprehended, he allegedly wounded two of the officers, one of whom was taken to a hospital with a "non-life-threatening injury," according to the Democrat.

"On a holiday weekend, for individuals to get that irate over change," Daughtry told the outlet. "We have families, seniors getting last-minute items for a holiday. We have to come up with better solutions for situations."

Coon has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, but the shooter remains free, according to the Democrat. Daughtry said that the Natchez police department is continuing to investigate the incident.

In 2021, 55.8% of Mississippi adults reported that they owned one or more firearms, according to World Population Review.

In 2019, 710 residents, including kids and teenagers, died as a result of firearm-related injuries, averaging nearly two people per day, according to the Educational Fund to Stop Violence.

Newsweek reached out to Daughtry for comment but did not hear back before publication.