VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) — A man has been arrested after a shopper was accidentally shot while shopping at a Valdosta Walmart on Tuesday, June 9.

According to the Valdosta Police Department, a 34-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to her ankles at the store at 3274 Inner Perimeter Road. Police said the injury is non-life-threatening, and she received medical treatment.

According to police, John Eady, 21, was carrying a firearm in the front pocket of his basketball-style shorts. Police said Eady did not have the gun in any type of holster, and his cell phone was in the same pocket.

When Eady reached into his pocket for his cell phone, the firearm was inadvertently discharged into the ground. According to police, the shrapnel from the bullet and the tiles from the flooring struck the woman in the ankles, according to police.

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Officers determined that Eady was carrying the firearm in a manner that was a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would have exercised in a similar situation.

On Wednesday, June 10, officers obtained an arrest warrant for Eady for the offense of reckless conduct. Eady was informed of the arrest warrant, and he immediately turned himself in at the Valdosta Police Department. He was transported to Lowndes County Jail without incident.

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