A woman who witnesses said opened fire in a Walmart parking lot in North Carolina was shot and killed by police Thursday morning.

The unidentified woman was involved in a “minor traffic accident” shortly before 7 a.m. that police said occurred in the parking lot of the retail store in Gastonia, about 24 miles (38 kilometers) from Charlotte.

According to Gastonia Police spokesman Bill McGinty, the accident caused their vehicle to become stuck on a small tree in the middle of the parking lot’s median.

When a man tried to help her, she started shooting her gun, McGinty said.

Three children – ages 1, 10 and 17 – were in the woman’s car during the incident.

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Witnesses claim they heard several shots; a police officer shot the woman

Bystanders said they believed the man was trying to help the woman at the scene.

“We were driving by when she pulled over,” a witness told WCNC. “We thought he was helping her because he was standing next to her car. There were three shots and I heard someone scream and she fired eight or 10 more shots.”

When police arrived at the parking lot, an officer shot the woman in the arm, causing non-life-threatening injuries, the source and McGinty said. The officer involved has not been publicly identified. The 1-year-old child was taken to a local hospital as a precaution for a respiratory problem.

It is unclear whether charges will be brought against the woman.

“The Gastonia Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards will conduct an internal investigation into the incident,” McGinty said. “Any further questions or inquiries should be directed to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman who fired gun in Walmart parking lot in Gastonia, NC, shot by police