Buy For Less Employee Arrested For Shooting Man Outside NE OKC Store

An Oklahoma City teenager is in jail in connection to a shooting at a grocery store on Thursday.

News 9 has learned the suspect is an employee at the store and was working when police said he shot a 20-year-old man.

The shooting happened at the Buy For Less store near N.E. 23rd St. and N. Martin Luther King Ave.

According to the victim's family, an argument over a basketball game led to the shooting.

“I thought it was firecrackers,” Shamara Williams, the victim's aunt, said.

Williams was at the Buy For Less with her two nephews when the older nephew, Antonio Williams, was suddenly shot as he left the store.

“He yelled to me, ‘Auntie, he shot my brother,' so I immediately jumped out of the car, and I was like, ‘Who?' and I'm assessing him and that's when the blood started rushing from his face,” Williams recalled.

Williams said her nephew was hit in the side of the face and the chest.

Williams rushed Antonio to the hospital.

10/23/2014 Related Story: Shooting Reported In Northeast Oklahoma City

“I wasn't in a panic," explained Williams. "I knew that we had a few minutes to get him there because of loss of blood."

Oklahoma City police said they located the suspect, 19-year-old Tamhar Lawrence, inside the Buy For Less.

Police said Lawrence is an employee of the store and was working when the shooting happened.

Moments after the shooting, the mother of the victim showed up at the scene.

“People can't even come to the grocery store without getting shot - it's broad daylight,” Latrice Williams screamed.

The family told News 9 Antonio's younger brother and the suspect have had run-ins since a basketball game earlier this summer.

Shamara Williams said when the brothers went inside the store on Thursday, Lawrence saw them and followed them out.

Then the shots rang out.

Even though it does hurt, you know, that he hurt him, but my baby okay and I feel sorry for their family,” Shamara Williams said.

Police said they found the gun they believe Lawrence used inside the store and located at least one bullet just outside the building.

The family said Antonio Williams was released from the hospital Friday.

Lawrence was booked for assault with a deadly weapon.