Fired Publix employee opens fire

A Publix employee who was fired from her job this morning came back to the store with a gun, and shot and killed another employee, according to Publix officials.

It happened at the Publix supermarket on U.S. 19, between East Lime Street and Tarpon Avenue.

Officers say that 41-year-old Arunya Rouch shot 40-year-old Gregory D. Janowski in the parking lot around noon and then fled into the store with the weapon.

Publix officials did confirm that the Rouch and Janowski were employees.

According to police, Rouch went back into the store, and when two officers confronted her, she fired at them. One of them returned fire, hitting Rouch.

Janowski died, and Rouch was taken to Bayfront Medical Center by helicopter. Police said she was in stable condition following surgery.

Tarpon Springs police have formally charged Rouch with first degree murder.

The officers who were shot at were not injured, though at least one bullet struck one of the officers' utility belts, police said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate the officer-involved shooting inside the store; the Tarpon Springs Police Department will investigate the death of Gregory Janowski.

Publix will not comment on why Rouch was fired. It does say the store will not reopen today. It may reopen tomorrow, but with a different set of associates, according to a spokeswoman.

Grief counselors have been brought in to help those traumatized by these events.