An Instacart shopper in North Carolina allegedly shot and killed a police officer inside a supermarket while shopping for groceries for a customer, authorities said. The shocking incident unfolded at a Food Lion on Lawndale Drive in Greensboro, leaving the community reeling.
The shopper, identified as 34-year-old Tarell McMillian, was putting together a grocery order for Sheila Gonzalez when things took a tragic turn. Gonzalez later recounted how everything seemed normal at first. “He started doing the shopping and was almost done,” she told the media.
The chaos began Monday morning when someone called 911 about a “suspicious person, possibly armed” at the store. McMillian matched the description. Officer Michael Horan from the Greensboro Police Department was the first to arrive at the scene. According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Horan approached McMillian inside the store, but during a brief struggle, McMillian pulled out a gun and shot the officer. Tragically, Horan didn’t have time to draw his weapon before he was killed.
After the shooting, McMillian fled the scene in a vehicle, leaving Gonzalez puzzled about her grocery delivery. “It took a very long time,” she said, explaining how her order was eventually canceled and reassigned to another shopper. She didn’t think much of it until she saw a news alert about a shooting at the same Food Lion where her order was being shopped. That’s when fear set in. “I was scared because I have kids at home,” Gonzalez said. “If he could shoot an officer, he could do anything.”
Hours later, McMillian was arrested in Johnston County after deputies pursued him on Interstate 40. He was taken into custody without incident and is now facing a first-degree murder charge. Authorities have denied him bond.
Officer Horan, who was killed in the line of duty, was deeply respected in his community and within the police department. Fellow officers described him as brave and compassionate. In 2019, he received a lifesaving award for rescuing a man and his son caught in a rip current during a family trip to the beach.
Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson expressed the department’s sorrow over losing Horan, calling him an “excellent officer” with a strong reputation. Thompson also thanked law enforcement and the community for their support and for helping bring McMillian to justice.
Instacart, the grocery delivery platform McMillian worked for, confirmed that he had passed a background check before being hired as a contractor. The company has since removed him from the app and released a statement expressing their heartbreak over the tragedy. “This kind of violence is incomprehensible,” Instacart said. “We’re working closely with law enforcement and Food Lion to assist in the investigation.”
Meanwhile, the community has rallied to support Horan’s family. Friends and colleagues have started an online fundraiser through Help a Hero to provide financial assistance to his loved ones.
The incident has left many in Greensboro shaken, as they grapple with the sudden loss of a dedicated officer and the senseless act of violence that took his life.
