An employee opened fire at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, killing six people and wounding at least five others, officials said. The latest incident in a wave of deadly gun violence across the country.
Chesapeake Police Chief Mark Soleski said at a briefing Wednesday that the first 911 call came in at 10:12 p.m. Tuesday, and the first officers arrived two minutes later at 10:16, entering the store. Police spokesman Leo Kosinski said rescue and tactical teams had cleared the stores providing life-saving supplies.
Soleski said the assailant was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“You hope a day like this never comes, but we train for it, we practice, we talk about it, we learn our lessons,” City manager Chris Price said at the briefing. “You hope those lessons never have to be put to use.”
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‘They have literally just started shooting’
employee Brianna Tyler told ABC “good Morning America” That the workers had gathered in the store’s break room at the beginning of the shift, when a manager, came in and started firing without saying a word.
“He literally started shooting all over the break room,” she said. “And I saw several people fall to the floor, whether they were trying to duck for cover or they were hit. … He looked straight at me but luckily he was like an inch or two away from me.” Missed the head.”
Mike Kafka, a spokesman for Centara Healthcare, said five of the Walmart patients were being treated at Norfolk General Hospital. His terms were not immediately available.
Mayor Rick W. West praised the efforts of first responders in a statement posted on Twitter.
“I am devastated by the senseless act of violence late last night in our city,” West said. “Chesapeake is a tight-knit community and we are all shaken by this news.”
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Chesapeake shooting latest in wave of deadly attacks
The shooting in Chesapeake is the latest incident to shake the nation days after Massacre at a famous LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, ColoradoWhere five people died.
Earlier this month, Three University of Virginia football players killed And two other people were hospitalized after a campus shooting—the same day four University of Idaho students were found dead with multiple stab wounds.
A database operated by USA Today, The Associated Press and Northeastern University which tracks mass killings since 2006, counts 40 mass killings so far this year, second only to the 45 for all of 2019. The database defines a mass murder as the killing of at least four people, not including the killer.
Family, friends want word about loved ones in Walmart shooting
In Chesapeake, police tweeted that a family reunion site has been set up at the Chesapeake Convention Center. Among those gathered outside early Wednesday was Camille Buggs, a former Walmart employee who told the virginia-pilot He hoped to learn about the fate of some of his former co-workers who had not been able to reach him after the shooting.
“You always say you don’t think this will happen in your city, in your neighborhood, in your store, in your favorite store,” Buggs, 58, of Chesapeake, told the outlet. “That’s the thing that surprised me.”
Stunned employees also gathered at the nearby Sam’s Club, where attendance was being taken. Wavy-TV reported, Police say that all the employees have been challaned.
Officers asked people to stay away from the scene. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was assisting with the investigation.
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in a walmart El Paso, TexasIt was the scene of one of the country’s bloodiest attacks in 2019, when a gunman police say was targeting Mexicans killed 22 people.
Walmart released a statement on Twitter Early Wednesday: “We are shocked by this tragic incident at our Chesapeake, Virginia store. We are praying for those affected, the community, and our partners. We are working closely with law enforcement, and we support our partners.” focusing on doing.”
Sen. Mark Warner tweeted that he was “horrified by the news of another mass shooting, this time at a Walmart in Chesapeake.”
State Sen. Louis Lucas echoed Warner’s sentiment, tweeting that he was “absolutely heartbroken that America’s latest mass shooting occurred at a Walmart in my district.”
Where is Chesapeake, Virginia located?
Chesapeake is a city of about 250,000 people, 100 miles southeast of Richmond. The city is located on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, just a few miles from Virginia Beach beach and downtown Norfolk.
The city says on its website, “Chesapeake offers an endless array of outdoor activities, terrific shopping, exceptional dining, and beautiful wildlife.” “Here you’ll find an impressively diverse collection of geographies that include urban delights, rural masterpieces, and an endless menu of outdoor options and indoor fun.”
Contributing: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
