Up to 10 people are dead after ‘manager’ opens fire in Virginia Walmart
>
At a Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia, up to 10 people have been killed after a gunman – believed to be a manager – opened fire just days before Thanksgiving.
According to those at the scene, one of the managers entered the break room and began shooting at those at the Sam’s Circle Walmart, just off Battlefield Boulevard, around 10:10 p.m. Tuesday night.
Police said the gunman is dead and they found several people both injured and dead when they arrived at the scene. One person was found dead outside next to the store entrance.
The exact number of casualties is not yet clear, but a Chesapeake Police Department spokesman said no more than 10 people were killed in the mass shooting. All the injured have been taken to hospitals in the area.
Five patients were being treated for injuries at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the main trauma center in the area, a spokesman confirmed.
There are also a number of people believed to have been seriously injured when more than 40 emergency services vehicles flew into the Walmart supercenter on Tuesday evening.
A Walmart employee, standing outside the store after the horrific attack, revealed on social media, “It was the manager. One of the managers.’
Referring to the gunman, the shocked member of staff added: “He blew his brains out and everything. He killed the girl in there and everything. He came in and started spraying. I’m sorry for the victims.
“I was just leaving the cafeteria, the manager came in there and started covering people in there, started shooting. Unfortunately we have lost some of our employees.’
“It was a traumatic experience,” he told DailyMail.com.
Another Walmart employee who showed up for their night shift shortly after the shooting told reporters at the scene, “Thank God I showed up late.”
The gunman, believed to be a store manager, began shooting people at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia
The shooter is dead, according to police. Police also confirmed that up to 10 people could be killed following the tragic ordeal at Walmart
A Walmart employee told his social media followers that his manager walked into the staff room and opened fire on his colleagues
Chesapeake PD’s Leo Kosinkski informs the media after the mass shooting at the Walmart store
Police put out tape after the horrific shooting at the Walmart just off Battlefield Boulevard in Virginia
Police officer Leo Kosinkski said there were several deaths and injuries and that police searched the building.
He said: “When the police arrived on the scene, they realized it was an active shooting situation and we had to change our tactics.”
It is currently unclear how many people have died. The supercenter was open to the public at the time of the shooting — and police said the Walmart may have been busy with shoppers preparing for Thanksgiving.
Kosinski said police feared more people could be inside the large store, injured or hiding after the gunfire.
The Virginia Beach Police Department responded to assist the Chesapeake Police Department. The Washington Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tweeted early Wednesday morning that they were also on their way to help with the investigation.
Virginia state senator Louise Lucas, who represents that part of Chesapeake, said: “I am absolutely heartbroken that the last mass shooting in America happened tonight at a Walmart in my county in Chesapeake, Virginia.
“I will not rest until we find the solutions to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country, which has claimed so many lives.”
Congresswoman Elaine Luria posted on Twitter, “Enough is enough.”
Virginia Senator Mark Warner said, “Became sickened by reports of yet another mass shooting, this time at a Walmart in Chesapeake. I will follow developments closely.’
Forty emergency services vehicles were on the scene shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday evening
Emergency services are seen at the entrance to the Walmart shortly after the gunman fired inside
Just last week, another shooting rocked the state of Virginia after three college football players died when a former player opened fire on a tour bus.
Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 22, fired into the bus at around 10:15 p.m., killing three people and injuring two others.
The horrific shooting killed University of Virginia students Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry and Devin Chandler.
Prosecutors told the court that Devin Chandler was asleep when he was shot. The students were returning from a field trip last Sunday as the terror unfolded.
Jones faces manslaughter and other charges stemming from the shooting, which sparked a manhunt and 12-hour campus lockdown before being apprehended in suburban Richmond.
Jones was taken into custody without bail and will appear in court at 9:30am in December.