A man who is accused of shooting a loss prevention officer at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester earlier this week has been arrested, according to police.
The shooting happened just outside the Macy's Men's entrance around 12 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Police say the victim, a 27-year-old man, is a loss prevention officer with the store and was shot in the stomach as he confronted a suspect who had just committed larceny.
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The victim was taken to Hartford Hospital. He remains hospitalized after sustaining a gunshot wound to his abdomen, police said. His identity has not been released.
"We are deeply saddened about the incident that took place today at Macy's Pavilions at Buckland Hills. The safety of our customers and our colleagues is Macy’s top priority. We are working closely with the local police department on this investigation and defer all comments about the case to them per policy," Macy's said in a statement.
Police said the suspect, later identified as Richard "Rico" LaPlante, 30, of Windsor, took off after the shooting. Authorities said LaPlante turned himself in on Saturday night and is facing charges including criminal attempt to commit murder, assault, robbery and carrying a pistol without a permit. He is being held on a $1 million and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
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The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or who has any information is asked to call Manchester police at (860) 645-5500.
