Body found in Walmart parking lot, Columbia police say

A body was found on the property of a Walmart Supercenter Tuesday, according to the Columbia Police Department.

It was after 4 p.m. when police reported the death outside of the Walmart store on Garners Ferry Road. That’s in an area densely packed with retail businesses, hotels and restaurants near Exit 9 on Interstate 77.

The body was discovered inside of a vehicle in the parking lot of the Walmart, police said.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office has not publicly identified the person who died.

Information about how the person died was not available, but police said no foul play is suspected.

This is the same Walmart that was closed for several days in early May after a man intentionally set fire to the store in a separate incident, police said. Both the store and $500,000 of merchandise were damaged in the fire, Columbia officials said.

No injuries were reported in the fire.

In an unrelated but similar incident, a body was found at another Walmart in the Midlands in late April.

A person died in the parking lot of a Walmart Supercenter at 5556 Sunset Boulevard, according to the Lexington Police Department. As is the case with Tuesday’s death, Lexington police said there was no indication of foul play in April’s death.