Fairview Heights woman finds loaded, stolen gun in grocery bag delivered from Walmart
A Fairview Heights woman has reported finding a loaded, stolen handgun in a Walmart grocery bag that was delivered to her apartment and carried across a room by her 2-year-old son.
The toddler wasn’t injured, but the deliveryman returned two days later looking for the gun.
“I have a Ring doorbell camera, so I gave the police the video of the guy,” said Bria Caldwell, 27, who lives in the Autumn Pine apartment complex, just north of St. Clair Bowl.
The complex is on the border of Fairview Heights and O’Fallon. When Caldwell called to report the incident, which occurred Saturday night, O’Fallon police responded.
Officers told her that the gun had been reported stolen more than five years ago in South St. Louis County. On Thursday, Capt. Mike Mojzis said he didn’t want to release many more details at that point.
“It’s an open investigation,” he said.
O’Fallon Lt. Nick Stewart confirmed Friday afternoon that police had interviewed the deliveryman, and he ‘s cooperating with the investigation. The man isn’t being named since he hasn’t been charged with a crime.
Caldwell ordered the groceries from the O’Fallon Walmart store. She said she called Monday and talked to the store manager, who was apologetic and promised that a company representative would get back to her. As of Thursday, she hadn’t heard from anyone.
Caldwell said police later informed her that the order was actually filled at the Belleville Walmart store because the O’Fallon store closes earlier.
Tyler Thomason, senior manager for Walmart corporate communications based in Arkansas, emailed a statement to the BND on Friday in response to a request for information.
“We’re aware of the situation and will continue assisting law enforcement through their investigation,” he wrote.
Thomason later clarified that the company had determined that the deliveryman in question worked for an independent contractor and was not a Walmart employee. He declined to name the contractor.
Caldwell also called DoorDash, which usually handles her Walmart deliveries. She said a representative told her he could find no record of a DoorDash delivery to her address on that date, so the groceries may have been delivered by another contractor.
DoorDash spokesman Julian Crowley emailed the following statement to the BND on Thursday:
“It’s important that everyone on the DoorDash platform has a safe and comfortable experience. This report is highly disturbing, and we’re actively investigating so that we may take appropriate action.”
Crowley also noted that “dashers” (people who deliver for DoorDash), merchants and customers are required to follow applicable firearms laws and can be suspended or removed from the platform for violating policy.
Caldwell’s unusual experience began Saturday night, when she went online to order chicken, seasonings and other groceries from the O’Fallon Walmart store. A man delivered several bags at about 10 p.m.
“Me and my 2-year-old were carrying the groceries from the living room to the kitchen,” Caldwell said. “He basically dropped the bag, and it was so loud. I’m like, ‘What the heck is that?’ So I opened it, and (found the gun). It was wrapped up in some ad paper.”
The gun didn’t go off, and no one was injured, she said.
A gun owner familiar with firearms, Caldwell described the one in the grocery bag as a 40-caliber Smith & Wesson with a laser sight.
Caldwell said she later received a computer-generated Walmart email confirming that someone named “Adrian” had delivered her groceries and asking if she wanted to tip him.
“I didn’t,” she said Thursday.
Caldwell’s Ring video from Saturday night shows the deliveryman waiting with plastic bags at her apartment door. He wore a COVID-19 mask and light-colored hoodie with a large Ralph Lauren Polo image on it.
The deliveryman returned Monday during the day. This time, he was wearing a mask, dark hoodie and ball cap, as shown on video.
“I had a delivery here, like a day ago, from Walmart,” the man can be heard telling Caldwell. “And I was trying to see if you guys got a bag that has something in it ... It was like a security gun.”
Caldwell went and got her boyfriend, Jerome Green, who came to the door and told the man that they didn’t have the gun. The man left in a charcoal-gray Chevy Malibu, she said, and the couple called police again.
“I’m still freaking out,” Caldwell said.
“I have anxiety. I feel like whenever the police do catch up with the guy, he’s going to know that I’m the one who turned in the gun. I feel like Walmart doesn’t care about my safety. I’m honestly considering moving.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 1:57 PM.
