Tennessee Man Shot in Wal-Mart Parking Lot

Willard Ross, a retired coach at Northwest High School, was fatally wounded by gunfire June 25 in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart on Ft. Campbell Boulevard in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Coach Ross was a beloved educator and the community is horrified and saddened by his tragic death. This senseless act of violence is even more shocking considering the circumstances. Coach Ross was an innocent bystander murdered at one of the nation’s largest and most trusted merchants. Millions of innocent people visit Wal-Mart stores all over the country without giving a second thought to their personal security. They may need to change their thinking in the wake of this tragedy.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this terrible crime is that it appears that Wal-Mart, an enormous and very successful corporation that gladly takes millions of dollars from its customers, apparently chose not to provide security in the parking lot after it has already taken their money. As a matter of fact, according to the paper the Wal-Mart on Ft. Campbell Boulevard in Clarksville terminated its contract with the Clarksville Police Department and has hired a private security firm. The community can only hope that this change doesn’t bring an increase in the incidents of crime at this store, where many of the city’s residents go to shop every day.

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