On November 2, 2024, at about 6:00 p.m., 67-year-old Mark Thomas Paz was shot and killed at the Monkey Junction Walmart in Wilmington, North Carolina while attempting to intervene in a reported shoplifting. Paz and other employees confronted a suspect identified as 35-year-old Dean Michael Newman. Newman fled but was taken into custody in the store parking lot shortly afterward and was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is being held without bond and has been appointed a public defender; his criminal history includes prior charges for felony breaking and entering, larceny, resisting officers, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Walmart temporarily closed the store during the investigation and said it would offer on-site counseling to associates. Paz’s family opened a GoFundMe for funeral expenses, and the community held a candlelight vigil in the parking lot. Paz was remembered as a caring, thoughtful employee devoted to his colleagues. Authorities continue to investigate and ask anyone with information to come forward. Does anyone have firsthand information about what happened that evening or knew Mark Paz at the store?