A gunman opened fire inside a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia Tuesday night, killing at least two customers and wounding several more before taking his own life, according to authorities.
The Virginia shooting came just days after a gunman killed at least five people and injured 25 at a Colorado LGBTQ nightclub.
Public information officer Leo Kosinski told reporters that it was unclear whether the shooter had killed himself. The shooter has been identified by several media outlets as the store manager even though the police have not yet released any information about him, according to a Reuters report.
Kosinski stated that at 10:12 p.m., police responded to a report of gunfire inside a Walmart, and that "less than 10" people were dead, though he did not specify how many.
According to Kosinski, there were no shots fired at the police.The City of Chesapeake has stated that more information will be released once the response has had more time to acquire information.
We’re only a few hours into the response, so we don’t have all the answers yet. Chesapeake Police continue their investigation into the active shooter event at Walmart on Sam’s Circle. We do know there are multiple fatalities plus injuries and the shooter is confirmed dead.
— City of Chesapeake (@AboutChesapeake) November 23, 2022
There have been multiple deaths, along with injuries, and the shooter has been killed. A police officer said that there were no more than 10 fatalities and many injuries, but details are not yet clear. As of present writing, authorities have not yet determined the reason for the Virginia Walmart shooting.
Reporters were informed by police that the assault occurred at 22:12 local time (03:12 GMT). According to Kosinski, the shooting most likely took place inside the business, and the suspect carried out the Virginia Shooting
crime alone.
Gunman Shot People in a Staff Room
Images shared online showed a large police presence at the scene, and a video purporting to show an eyewitness describing the incident while dressed in a Walmart uniform also surfaced online.
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A manager allegedly entered a staff room after he had left and began firing, according to a witness. The man said he had no idea about the number of his coworkers killed by the gunfire, per BBC.
WAVY-TV, a local news affiliate, reported that a representative from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital confirmed to the station that five patients were currently receiving medical care there. A 20-year-old female employee claimed to WAVY-TV that her brother had been shot just 10 minutes after starting work.However, she reported that her sibling had a comforting contact with family members via phone calls and text messages.
Another Shocking Gun Violence Incident
The official Twitter account of the City of Chesapeake announced that the Chesapeake Conference Center is serving as a family reunion site (700 Conference Center Drive). It said that only close relatives or emergency contacts should visit this site in case someone you know was in the building during the Virginia Shooting incident.
On social media, Virginia senator Mark Warner expressed that he is "Sickened by reports of yet another mass shooting." He noted that he would follow the developments of the violent incident, according to Sky News.
Walmart Inc. expressed "shock" at what had happened in one of its stores. The company expressed condolences for the individuals, community, and associates "impacted" by the incident.
We are shocked at this tragic event at our Chesapeake, Virginia store. We’re praying for those impacted, the community and our associates. We’re working closely with law enforcement, and we are focused on supporting our associates.
— Walmart Inc. (@WalmartInc) November 23, 2022
"We're working closely with law enforcement, and we are focused on supporting our associates," Walmart tweeted.
Walmart in Chesapeake is a "supercenter," which means that it offers food and other items for sale.
There are more than 3,500 Walmart supercenters in the US.
