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Man arrested in connection with Walmart parking lot shooting

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh man was arrested and charged in connection with a December shooting in the parking lot of a Walmart store.

Customers told Channel 11 they saw a crowd running from the store on Freeport Road in the Waterworks plaza around 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 14. Witnesses initially thought it was a fire drill until they saw multiple police officers rush into the store with their guns drawn.

A blue car in the parking lot had been shot up multiple times.

Investigators determined John Hayden was the one who pulled the trigger.

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According to a criminal complaint, police said witnesses told them Hayden and a woman were having an argument at the front of the store near the checkout area. Hayden and the woman both had children with them. A group of the three people then approached Hayden and the woman and the argument continued to escalate.

Investigators were able to watch on security camera video as Hayden and the group of people exited the store, followed a short time later by the woman. Hayden and the woman get into a car. That car then speeds up toward the group of people, they all can be seen ducking for cover and the car then speeds off.

“From surveillance footage observed it appears that two infant children were inside of the Ford Fusion when shots were fired from it,” court papers stated.

The complaint said investigators tracked Hayden and the woman back to an address in Pittsburgh. On Dec. 23, a SWAT team was activated and a search warrant was executed at that address. Hayden was arrested and confessed to the arresting officers that he shot at three people he had an argument with at the Walmart.

Two guns were found and confiscated by officers.

Hayden was charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief, endangering the welfare of children and other charges.