Collapse at Wal-Mart reported as shooting

SPRINGVILLE — Reports of a shooting at Wal-Mart led to a few tense moments for customers and Springville police Sunday.

First calls to police said a 59-year-old man at the Springville Wal-Mart had been shot in the face, Springville Police Lt. Dave Caron said. After receiving the call, he said, a number of his agency's officers responded quickly to the scene.

"Of course everybody goes rushing out there," Caron said. "Because the last thing you want is some crazy person going around shooting people at Wal-Mart."

Rather than finding a victim of a shooting, Caron said, they discovered a man who collapsed in the store's parking lot at about 6:45 p.m. after he started coughing up blood. He said friends who were with the man at the store told police he had been receiving treatment for lung cancer and had been released from a Salt Lake hospital last Tuesday.

The amount of blood, however, led onlookers to believe the man had been shot, Caron said.

"We got out there and discovered there was no gunshot wound," Caron said. "Although a quick glance at him, you wouldn't have known."

Although the situation was initially quite tense for police, Caron said the police were soon able to speak with the friends of the man and determined no foul play had taken place.

Police did not identify the man.