An incident early Tuesday afternoon inside the Walmart Supercenter off Northside Drive caused the store to be temporarily evacuated, but no injuries were reported.

According to a release from the Statesboro Police Department, a man broke into a display case, took out a BB gun and "then approached a female customer and her child in a threatening manner."

Capt. Jared Akins wrote in the release that the suspect has been identified as Nathaniel Anthony Jones, 40, formerly of Portal.

“At approximately 12:47 p.m., Bulloch County 911 received multiple calls reporting a male in possession of what appeared to be a firearm at the Walmart,” Akins said.

When officers arrived on the scene, Akins said  Walmart staff had isolated the suspect in the Garden Center, allowing officers to take him into custody without further incident.

“The store was temporarily closed to facilitate the investigation and account for the safety of all staff and customers.”

According to the release, investigators determined the suspect entered the store, obtained a tool and used it to break into a glass display case to access a BB gun. He then approached a woman and her child, whom he had no prior relationship with, in a threatening manner.

The suspect, Jones, was released from the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections on Monday after serving a sentence for burglary. Following an interview by detectives, he was transported to the Bulloch County Jail and charged with aggravated assault and burglary in the 2nd degree

Jones remains in custody at the Bulloch County Jail with a hold placed on his release.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information or video footage of the incident is requested to contact Senior Detective Dustin Cross at (912) 764-9911.

Anonymous tips may also be submitted via the department’s website at https://statesboropd.com/ by clicking the “Submit a Tip” link.