A gunman opened fire at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Tuesday night, killing six people and wounding at least five, authorities said. the latest incident in a wave of gun violence throughout the country.
The Chesapeake Police Department responded to a report of gunfire at about 10:15 p.m. ET and immediately found evidence of the carnage, Officer Leo Kosinski said at a news briefing.
For more than 35 to 40 minutes, rescue and tactical teams swept through the store providing life-saving measures, he said. Police believe there was one shooter who died, Kasinski said, adding that authorities believe the shooting stopped when police arrived.
Mike Kafka, a spokesman for Sentara Healthcare, said five patients from Walmart are being treated at Norfolk General Hospital. Their 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 that occurred late last night in our city,” West said. “Chesapeake is a close-knit community and we are all shocked by this news.”
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The shooting in Chesapeake was the latest incident to rock the country in days massacre at a prominent LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where five people died. Earlier this month three University of Virginia football players were killed and two others hospitalized after a campus shooting — the same day four Idaho State University students were found dead with multiple stab wounds.
The USA TODAY, Associated Press and Northeastern University database, which tracks mass killings since 2006, has 40 mass killings this year, down from 45 in all of 2019. The database defines a mass murder as at least four people killed, not counting the killer.
In Chesapeake, police tweeted that a family reunification area had been set up at the Chesapeake Convention Center. Among those who gathered outside early Wednesday was Camille Buggs, a former Walmart employee who spoke The Virginian Pilot she hoped to learn the fate of some of her former colleagues whom she had been unable to contact since the shooting.
“You always say you don’t think it’s going to happen in your town, your neighborhood, your store, your favorite store,” said Bugs, 58, of Chesapeake. “That’s what shocked me.”
Stunned employees also gathered at a nearby Sam’s Club, where attendance was counted. This is reported by WAVY-TV. Police said all officers were accounted for.
Authorities asked the public to stay away from the scene. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was assisting in the investigation.
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Chesapeake is about 100 miles southeast of Richmond. State Sen. Louise Lucas echoed Warner’s sentiments, tweeting that she was “absolutely heartbroken that the latest mass shooting in America happened at a Walmart in my neighborhood.”
Sen. Mark Warner tweeted that he was “saddened by reports of yet another mass shooting, this time at a Walmart in Chesapeake.”
A Walmart in El Paso, Texas, was the scene of one of the nation’s deadliest attacks of 2019, when a gunman who police said targeted Mexicans killed 22 people.
Walmart released a statement on Twitter Early Wednesday: “We are shocked by this tragic event at our store in Chesapeake, Virginia. We are praying for those affected, the community and our associates. We are working closely with law enforcement and are focused on supporting our associates.”
Contributing: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY; Associated Press
