Menards security guard, customer die after shootout at Indianapolis store
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Menards security guard and a customer have died after a shootout late Wednesday afternoon at the home improvement retailer on the city’s northeast side, police say.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office on Thursday identified the two men killed as Olajawon Cowherd, 24, and Justin Do, 39. Police, the coroner’s office nor Menard Inc. have revealed which man was the security guard and who was the shopper.
The security guard died at IU Health Methodist Hospital, said Capt. Don Weilhammer with Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on Wednesday night.
The customer died after being taken in “very critical condition” to an operating room at Eskenazi Hospital, Weilhammer said Wednesday.
Officers just before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday were sent to a report of two people shot at the store at 7701 E. 42nd St. That is east of the I-465 interchange for Pendleton Pike, which is also known as U.S. 36 and State Road 67.
The shootout happened at the exit to the store’s lumberyard, Weilhammer said.
An IMPD news release sent shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday said, “Preliminary information leads detectives to believe that one male was working as a security officer for the business when he stopped a vehicle with multiple occupants exiting a section of the business. A verbal disagreement led to a physical altercation between the driver and the security officer. Both men then exchanged gunshots striking each other. Homicide detectives have identified each person involved in this incident.”
Police have not publicly shared any additional information about the two men.
Customers’ trailers are inspected at Menards lumberyard’s exit. Inspections at the exits are routine for lumber retailers, Weilhammer said.
Investigators planned to get surveillance video and talk to witnesses to find out what happened. Anyone with information was asked to call IMPD Detective Dustin Keedy at 317-327-3475 or e-mail him at dustin.keedy@indy.gov.
The lumberyard was closed for the investigation, but the store remained open at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
News 8 on Wednesday night reached out to Wisconsin-based Menard Inc.
Spokesman Jeff Abbott issued a statement to News 8 just after 3 p.m. Thursday: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted by this unfortunate incident. With this being a police matter, we are unable to comment further.”
![Use Search Bars Above To Search Crime Data](https://wishtv.com/wp-content/themes/wishtv-2022/assets/img/crime_map_s.png)