Suspected shoplifter fires gunshot in Home Depot in Tacoma before fleeing, police say

TACOMA -- A man suspected of shoplifting pulled a gun and fired a shot when confronted by security at the Home Depot on Center Street Friday, but no one was hit, police said.

The man fled in a vehicle, but employees were able to get his license plate number, police said, and officers were attempting to make contact with a 28-year-old man at an apartment complex in Tacoma.

Earlier, a man suspected of shoplifting at a Walmart in Lacey pulled a gun when confronted by store security, but fled without firing any shots. It was not immediately known if it was the same man as in the later Tacoma incident.