US shooting kills several at Walmart supermarket

A gunman killed several people at a Walmart supermarket on Tuesday evening (November 22) in a town in the US state of Virginia, local authorities said, adding that the shooter was also dead.

« We have found several victims and several wounded »a Chesapeake local police officer told reporters, saying the response teams had entered the store » immediately « upon their arrival. “We believe it is a single shooter and that this one is now deceased”he added.

The number of victims has not been officially announced but according to the policeman, the shooting would not have made more than 10 dead. It is also this balance sheet reported by the television station WUSA, affiliated with the CBS chain.

« End this endemic gun violence »

The municipality of the city, located 240 kilometers southeast of Washington, confirmed on Twitter « a shooter incident with fatalities at Walmart on Sam’s Circle ». “Our first response teams are well prepared and ready to respond. Please give them space to do so”, she added. Many police were present at the scene of the shooting. Investigators comb through the supermarket and secure the area.

“We are shocked by this tragic event at our store in Chesapeake, Virginia. We pray for those affected, the community and our collaborators. We work closely with law enforcement and are dedicated to supporting our people”said the Walmart group on Twitter.

Theater of mass killings

The United States is a regular scene of mass shootings and other gun violence, but the issue of gun control remains politically sensitive and Congress remains reluctant to toughen laws in this area.

The supermarket shooting took place 48 hours before Thanksgiving celebrations and comes after a shooting at a gay club last weekend in Colorado sparked outrage across the country.