Killing in a Walmart in Virginia: 6 dead in addition to the alleged killer

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A shooting at a Walmart department store in the state of Virginia on Tuesday night reportedly left six people dead and others injured, although the exact numbers were not immediately known.

Police added that the suspected shooter also lost his life. She still did not know Wednesday morning if he had died of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Officers responded to a call reporting a shooting at the Walmart located in Chesapeake around 10:15 p.m.

Within 35 to 40 minutes, officers found several dead and injured in the store and assembled rescue and tactical teams to go inside.

“We are shocked by this tragic event at our Chesapeake, Va. store,” Walmart tweeted early Wednesday. “We pray for those affected, the community and our associates. We work closely with law enforcement and are focused on supporting our associates,” the tweet read.

The shooting in Virginia comes three days after a person opened fire at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado, killing five people and injuring 17. The shooter has been arrested.

Tuesday’s shooting also brought back memories of another Walmart shooting in 2019, when a gunman police say was targeting Mexicans opened fire at a store in El Paso, Texas, and killed 22 people. Walmart did not have a security guard on duty that day.

US Senator Mark Warner tweeted that he was « sickened by reports of another mass shooting, this time in Chesapeake ». State Senator Louise Lucas echoed Mark Warner’s sentiment by tweeting that she was « absolutely heartbroken that the last mass shooting in America took place at a Walmart in my district. »

Chesapeake Police tweeted that a family reunification site has been set up at the Chesapeake Conference Center. This site is only for immediate family members or emergency contact of those who may have been in the building.

Chesapeake is about seven miles south of Norfolk.