HERMITAGE, Pa. — A dispute over transgenderism between two employees at a Pennsylvania Wal-Mart escalated into a shooting inside the store Thursday night, leaving one man wounded and another man behind bars on attempted murder charges. 

Zachary T. McClimans, 22, was arraigned this morning on attempted murder and other charges for shooting Jayson Hall inside the store where both employees worked. Hall was struck at least twice from four shots fired at him by McClimans using a .380-caliber handgun, according to court documents.

Hall was in stable condition at Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio, according to Chief Eric Jewell of the Hermitage Police Department.

The two men were co-workers at Wal-Mart and McClimans specifically targeted Hall over an ongoing dispute about McClimans’ transition from male to female, according to court documents.

McClimans told investigators Thursday night he had been threatened by Hall after McClimans had informed coworkers of his gender choice. McClimans told Wal-Mart management of threats by Hall, but no decision had been made by store management on Hall’s status, according to the affidavit.

McClimans said he then began thinking of a way to prevent Hall from hurting or threatening him — including shooting Hall, according to the affidavit.

Hall was working at the store at the time he was shot and McClimans had left the store earlier in the day, but returned later with a handgun, according to the affidavit.

McClimans was taken into custody in the Wal-Mart’s parking lot by Hermitage police officers shortly after the shooting occurred and a handgun was recovered from McClimans’ person during his arrest, Jewell said.

McClimans was arraigned on one count each of attempted first-degree murder, attempted third-degree murder, aggravated assault, theft by unlawful taking, firearms not to be carried without a license and recklessly endangering another person.

Jewell had high praise for his police department’s response as well as aid from surrounding police departments and other emergency personnel.

“I commend my officers for a timely response, quick tactical thinking, coolness under extreme stress and tremendous courage,” Jewell said in a prepared statement issued this morning. “Numerous police departments from the Shenango Valley and beyond assisted with containment and search of the very large building and interviewing witnesses and potential witnesses.”

Gushard writes for The Meadville, Pennsylvania Tribune.