The family of robbery suspect Arthur Adams, who was shot and killed Saturday by a customer outside of a Wal-Mart, is calling for justice.

  • Family of man shot outside Wal-Mart "wants justice"
  • Case will be handed over to the State Attorney's Office
  • Orange County deputies still searching for 3rd person

"Somebody needs to tell me why my son was killed over pampers," Marcia Adams, the mother of Arthur Adams, said Monday.

Adams was shot several times in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart located along Clarcona Ocoee Road, near the Pine Hills area of the county.

The shooting happened at about 8 a.m. Saturday when Adams and another unidentified man were accused of stealing diapers and other items from the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. According to investigators, a Wal-Mart store employee confronted Adams and the other man in the parking lot. Some sort of confrontation ensued.

Another man, who was shopping at the Wal-Mart, got involved and told authorities he felt threatened by Adams. He then took out a gun and opened fire.

The customer hit both Adams and a female who was sitting in a getaway car.

Adams was found at a nearby Citgo gas station. He was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he died.

The female was also taken to a hospital and is being treated.

Marcia Adams believes the man who shot and killed her son deserves to be in jail.

"None of it makes sense," Marcia Adams said. "I want justice because, to me, it’s murder."

No charges have been filed.

"(The shooter) believed (Adams) was arming himself, so he used the force he deemed necessary to protect himself," said Capt. Angelo Nieves, of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Adams was previously arrested and charged on two felony RICO violations in 2013. Investigators said the getaway car used Saturday was reported stolen Jan. 14.

Adams' mother said her son's previous mistakes wouldn't have been a factor in her son's shooting.

"His rap sheet doesn't have anything to do with what he was doing at Wal-Mart," she said.

Marcia Adams wants her son to be remembered for who he was, not the mistakes he made.

"He was a kind, most caring person you'd ever meet," she said.

Meanwhile, the Orange County Sheriff's Office continues to review surveillance video from the area. Investigators are looking for the third person who was present during the theft and shooting. The unidentified male is sought as a person of interest who has information that is relevant to the case, Nieves said.

"The Orange County Sheriff's Office detectives have been working hard with Wal-Mart representatives and interviewing witnesses to determine the facts in the weekend shooting at the Wal-Mart store," Sheriff Jerry Demings said in a statement. "The investigation is ongoing and we ask the community not to rush to judgement. ... The use of deadly force will be evaluated based on law and the right to protect one's self or others from great bodily harm or death."

The case will be handed over to the State Attorney's Office to determine charges for anyone involved.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).


The Orange County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help to identify the third person involved in Saturday's shooting outside a Wal-Mart. (Orange County Sheriff's Office)