The victim was transported to a hospital in serious condition but has since stabilized, Newsham said. No one else was harmed, the chief told reporters outside the store.

AD

A suspect has been arrested, police said Sunday night. They said Michael Whatley Jr., 28, of Southeast, was charged with assault with intent to rob while armed.

“We all feel very bad,” said bakery supervisor Said Kada, who was working in the store’s kitchen when he heard a shot. “It’s like someone from your family got shot.”

AD

Employees and customers described a chaotic, harrowing scene inside the store at 600 H Street NE. The shooting, at about 10:50 a.m., appeared to have occurred in checkout line 4, where drops of blood were visible on the cement floor alongside scattered grocery items.

It was not clear what led to the arrest. However, police said Sunday afternoon that they had located a red Honda Civic Zipcar that they thought was connected with the shooting.

AD

James Jackson, 38, who lives in the neighborhood, was eating breakfast inside the store with his family when the shooting happened.

“We heard a commotion, yelling; it sounded like something got knocked over, and then there was a pop of gunfire,” he said. “I grabbed my wife and 15-month-old son and ran down the street and called police.”

Some employees escaped through a back entrance. Customers were hustled into food-preparation areas to take cover.

In the meat department, an employee described customers “running through my cutting room into my cooler, and everybody was screaming, ‘Shots fired.’ ” The employee did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

AD

AD

Ramsey Taylor, a neighborhood resident, was just leaving the store when he saw several families with small children running out the door. Another woman raced out, he said, crying and saying someone had been shot.

After the shooting, employees and customers gathered outside the store’s roped-off entrance. Customers who fled were briefly allowed back inside to gather their belongings. The store was closed and employees sent home.

Whole Foods referred questions about the shooting to authorities. The company declined to say whether the shooting would result in added security or to provide details on when the store would reopen. The company did, however, issue a brief statement.

AD

“Our thoughts and prayers are with our team member at this time, and we’re grateful for the first responders on the scene, including the Metropolitan Police Department and the DC Fire and EMS Department,” the statement said.

AD

The Whole Foods is a relatively new addition to the booming H Street corridor, a one-and-a-half-mile stretch that is known for its performing arts center, nightlife and restaurants.

The community has changed dramatically over the past 10 years, with empty storefronts replaced by trendy shops and bars, luxury condominiums and a streetcar line that runs east from Union Station.

The 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods opened in March 2017, ­replacing a dilapidated supermarket. A Washington Post story on its opening was headlined “The new H Street Whole Foods wants to be your neighborhood pub,” highlighting the store’s many attractions beyond groceries.

AD

Citywide, robberies with guns are up this year, but such crimes are down in the police patrol area that includes the Whole Foods, according to city crime data.

“A shooting like this is unacceptable,” said D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who lives nearby and represents the neighborhood.

The incident signals “the hard work we’ve got to do to end any type of violence,” including, he said, getting illegal firearms off the streets of Washington.

AD

People who arrived at the market Sunday afternoon were surprised to learn of the shooting.

Jennifer Chung, 33, lives in the apartment building connected to the store and stops at Whole Foods multiple times a day, she said. She found the shooting “kind of baffling.”

AD

“You figure the neighborhood’s completely transformed, so you don’t expect that here,” she said.

Bridget Fields, 28, pulled up to the market on her bike to grab groceries only to find it closed.

“I’m pretty shocked right now,” Fields said. “I know the neighborhood used to be not that great, but it’s been getting better.

“I’m biking around here all the time,” she added.