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WEBVTT KES IS IN HERMITAGE WITH MORE ON HOW IT PLAYED OUT. KATELYN: COURT DOCUMENS ARE SHEDDING MORE LIGHT INTO WHAT LED UP TO THAT SHOOTING INSIDE WAL-MART. THIS PAPER WORK INDICATES THAT THE SUSPECT WAS BEING BULLIED BY THE VICTIM. AND THE SUSPECT FELT THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO TURN TO VIOLENCE. 22-YEAR-OLD ZACHARY HAD NOTHING TO SAY WHEN HE WAS LED IN FRONT OF A JUDGE ON SEVERAL CHARGES, INCLUDING ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER. >> THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOME BAD BLOOD BETWEEN THEM, SO TO SPEAK, AND HE FELT THE NEED TO GET A GUN AND RESOLVE HIS DISPUTE THAT WAY. >> COURT DOCUMENTS ALLEGE THAT DISPUTE COMES FROM THE DECISION TO SWITCH GENDERS FROM MALE TO FEMALE. COURT PAPER WORK CLAIMS WHEN HE TOLD HIS CO-WORKERS, ONE, THE VICTIM, JASON HALL, WAS OFFENDED AND BEGAN THREATENING HIM, WHICH WENT ON FOR WEEKS. DURING THEIR SHI TOGETHER YESTERDAY, HE HEARD HALL MAKE A COMMENT. SO HE LEFT, TOOK A GUN FROM HIS GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE AND RETURNED TO WAL-MART AND TRACKED HALL DOWN AND SHOT HIM FOUR TIMES. >> FIRST OFFICERS ON THE SCENE WERE DIRECTED TO THE PARKING LOT AND INDICATED THAT THE SHOOTER WAS IN THAT VEHICLE. >> THE COURT PAPERS SAID HE WANTED TO KILL HALL AND MAKE SURE HE FELL AND WOULDN'T BOTHER HIM ANY MORE AT WORK. HALL WAS FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL AND IS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. THE INCIDENT HAS LEFT THIS COMMUNITY IN SHOCK. >> THIS IS A SMALL AREA AND YOU DON'T USUALLY HEAR OF THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WHEN I HEARD IT THIS MORNING, I SORT OF SAT BACK, AND WOW. KATELYN: HE'S HELD ON A $500,000 BOND. THE NEXT COURT HEARING IS

Advertisement Police: Walmart employee transitioning to female shoots co-worker over alleged threats Zachary McClimans, 22, of Sharon, charged with attempted murder in Hermitage, Mercer County Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A Walmart employee who is transitioning from male to female told police that an offended co-worker threatened him over the gender switch, so he walked into the store with a gun Thursday night and fired several shots at the bully, according to a criminal complaint. Police said Zachary Thomas McClimans, 22, of Sharon, was found inside a car in the store’s parking lot on North Hermitage Street. He was being held Friday on $500,000 bond, charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and carrying a firearm without a license. The victim, identified in court paperwork as Jayson Hall, was listed in stable condition Friday after he was flown to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. Police said they found him in a rear stockroom area of the store. Hermitage Police Chief Eric Jewell said there had been an ongoing dispute between the victim and McClimans, who he said "felt the need to get a gun and resolve the dispute." According to the criminal complaint, McClimans told police that Hall was offended and began threatening him when he let co-workers know about his gender change. McClimans said he reported the issue, but when he last spoke with management about a week ago, no decision had been made about how to handle it. "McClimans stated that he had begun thinking of a way to prevent Hall from hurting him or threatening him. McClimans stated that shooting Hall was one of these solutions," the complaint said. McClimans told police that he went to his grandfather’s home and found a .380-caliber pistol, then drove to Walmart with the intention of waiting for Hall to get off work, but "he felt so strongly about shooting Hall that he could not wait, at which time he tracked down Hall inside the store," according to the complaint. Police said Hall was found with at least two visible wounds in the upper back. He told police that he heard the shots, then turned around and saw McClimans pointing a gun, according to the complaint. "When asked if he and Zach had any type of dispute or ongoing issue, Hall confirmed that there was an internal investigation by the store," police said. "When asked if Zach had said anything to him, Hall stated, ’No.’ Hall stated that he saw Zach hanging around the end of the aisle where he was working just prior to the shooting." The store remained closed Friday morning. Customers were being turned away. "This is a small area, and you just don’t usually hear of things like this," said Norman Lane, of Transfer. "When I heard it this morning, I just sort of sat back and -- wow."