GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WFRV) – An off-duty deputy was inside the store Scheels when people started running and mentioning a shooting, Deputy Blaine Evans sprang into action.

According to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s office, on Jan. 31 deputy Evans was in Grand Chute to celebrate a relative’s birthday at a local restaurant. After the restaurant, Evans and his family stopped at Scheels to look at ice fishing gear.

While Evans was inside Scheels, people started running through the store and learned that shots were fired in the mall food court. All customers were escorted to a secure room to help them remain safe. Deputy Evans identified himself as an off-duty deputy to a store manager and went to the video surveillance room to look at the cameras to try to locate the shooter.

A victim was identified laying on the outdoor sidewalk near the Scheels main entrance. The manager allowed deputy Evans to exit the store and immediately go to the victim’s location. Evans began administering first aid.

According to authorities, the victim had a gunshot wound to the hip. Evans was able to stop the bleeding. While administering first aid a male roughly matching the shooter’s description was approaching with his hands in his pockets.

Evans had to stop treating the victim and draw his concealed firearm. The approaching male complied with the orders to remove his hands from his pockets. It was determined he was not the shooting suspect, but an acquaintance of the victim on the ground.

As on-duty officers arrived, Evans was able to provide information about the suspect and volunteered to remain with the victim so law enforcement could keep searching for the suspect and other victims.

Deputy Evans rode along with the ambulance that removed the victim to provide security until they were out of the danger zone. An on-duty officer replaced Evans in the ambulance, and Evans was able to rejoin with his family.

“It’s important that members of the Fond du Lac community know the caliber of law enforcement deputies that protect our community here every day. I’m honored to work alongside these deputies, who not only risk their personal safety protecting the citizens of our own county while on-duty but who also jump into action to protect innocent citizens from danger in other communities, even while off-duty,” says Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt.

According to a release, deputy Evans has been with the Sheriff’s Office since June 2018 and is also a member of the SWAT Team.

The investigation is ongoing and further details of this incident cannot be released.

Local 5 will update this story if more information becomes available.