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Royal Palm Beach Publix shooting: Woman and grandson, 1, killed in Florida store

A man fatally shot a woman and her young grandson before turning the gun on himself inside a Publix store in Florida's Palm Beach County

ROYAL PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said a man fatally shot a grandmother and her one-year-old grandson before killing himself in a Publix supermarket in Royal Palm Beach on the morning of Thursday, June 10. 

Mass shootings have occurred in recent months at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, an office building in California, a grocery store in Colorado and at several spas in Atlanta. The sheriff's office said deputies arrived at the scene and found three people dead from gunshot wounds, including a man, a woman and a child. Police did not say which one was believed responsible for the shooting. The sheriff's office has also confirmed that the shooter is among those dead. 

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Who are the Royal Palm Beach shooting victims?

The man, woman and toddler were not immediately identified by the  Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, USA Today reported According to WPLG, the toddler's father was called to the site to identify his son's remains. The child would have turned two years old this month.

As of June 10, police were still investigating, but they suspect the shooter and the victims knew each other. The woman was linked to the child, according to officials. At the time of the incident, the grandmother was claimed to be shopping with her grandson inside the Publix store. The shooting happened shortly before noon in the produce area of the store at 1180 Royal Palm Beach Boulevard in Royal Palm Beach.  The man's body was found with a gun beside him. Speaking to NBC, Publix employee Gus Downs said he initially thought it was balloons popping. “I just heard three loud pops and next thing I knew they were chasing everyone out of the store," Downs said.

"Everyone started coming out yelling 'Active shooter! Shots fired! Get out! Get out!' and I saw about 50 customers and staff leave I would say in about 10 or 15 seconds," another witness Ron Glassman said. 

The sheriff's office announced on Twitter that it "was NOT an active shooter scenario". Detectives are on the scene, trying to figure out what caused the incident. Officials said they were evaluating surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses. In another update, PB County office provided they announced that "The family has invoked Marsy’s Law, therefore, the names of the victims: 1 yr/old boy & his grandmother will not be released. The gunman’s name will be released after his next of kin has been notified. There is NO known motive or relationship between the gunman and the victims."

“This is not a Publix problem. This is a people problem," said Oahtee Moody, a Royal Palm Beach resident who lives across the street from the center, adding that the shooting was a tragic sign of the times. "I was born and raised here, and I never would expect this to happen.”