2022 Chesapeake shooting
On November 22, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at a Walmart Supercenter in Chesapeake, Virginia, United States. Seven people were killed, including the gunman, and four others were injured.[3][4] The gunman was identified as 31-year-old Andre Marcus Bing, a night-shift manager at the store.[1][5]
| 2022 Chesapeake shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of mass shootings in the United States | |
| Location | 1521 Sam's Cir, Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 36°46′22″N 76°14′56″W / 36.77278°N 76.24889°WCoordinates: 36°46′22″N 76°14′56″W / 36.77278°N 76.24889°W |
| Date | November 22, 2022 c. 10:12 – 10:16 p.m. (Eastern Time Zone（UTC−05:00）) |
| Target | Coworkers |
Attack type | Mass murder, mass shooting, murder-suicide, workplace violence |
| Weapon | 9mm handgun |
| Deaths | 7 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 4 |
| Perpetrator | Andre Marcus Bing[1][2] |
| Motive | Unknown |
Shooting
On the morning of the shooting, Bing legally purchased the 9 mm handgun used in the shooting.[6][7][8] Bing was armed with the handgun and multiple magazines of ammunition.[9][6][7] Police responded to reports of a shooting in the store at 10:12 p.m. EST.[10] According to an eyewitness account, Bing "snapped" before shooting a woman, proceeding to kill employees within the break room, and then firing at least ten shots in the grocery aisles.[6]
A survivor reportedly said that she and her coworkers had gathered in the break room to start their shift when the shooting started; her manager entered the room without saying anything and indiscriminately shot at anyone he saw.[11] Another eyewitness account said the gunman was laughing as he opened fire.[12] Another witness said the gunman seemed to be targeting his victims, saying he ordered her from out of a table she was hiding under, saw her face, and told her to go home.[13] Others stated that he seemed to target specific people and shot them multiple times, even if they had already been hit and seemed dead.[8]
Due to the size of the store, it took first responders over 35 to 40 minutes to search the building for additional victims and/or perpetrators. Officers discovered multiple victims in the building,[14] including one near the entrance.[3] The gunman was among the deceased, due to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.[15][10] The scene was declared safe by law enforcement about an hour after the first reports at 11:20 p.m.[9]
Victims
Six people were shot and killed in the shooting. All of the deceased victims were employed by Walmart.[16] They were Randy Blevins, 70;[17] Fernando Chavez-Barron, 16;[18] Lorenzo Gamble, 43;[19] Tyneka Johnson, 22;[16] Brian Pendleton, 38;[20] and Kellie Pyle, 52.[20]
Perpetrator
The city of Chesapeake and police identified the gunman as night-shift manager Andre Marcus Bing (May 1, 1991 – November 22, 2022).[1][2][21] He was a resident of Chesapeake who previously lived in various other cities across the Hampton Roads metropolitan area including Suffolk, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach; and he also lived for a time in Queens, New York, and San Angelo, Texas. Bing started working with Walmart at the Chesapeake location in 2010.[22] According to a company statement, Bing worked as an overnight shift lead.[16] Bing had no criminal record.[6]
Bing's motive is unknown, though an employee at the store alleged that he was planning on killing other Walmart managers.[23][24] Walmart employees that had worked with Bing described him as difficult and known to be hostile to others.[8]
In a ‘death note’ written on his phone by Bing, he claimed that he was mocked by coworkers and that his phone had been hacked. He repeatedly mentioned God and wanting forgiveness for his actions, claiming that he was "led by Satan". Also described in the note were non-traditional cancer treatments and distress over not having a wife.[7]
Investigation
A joint investigation between the Chesapeake Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is being conducted.[10] A joint search of Bing's home near Interstate 464, located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) away from the Walmart was conducted by the Chesapeake Police and Virginia State Police shortly after the shooting before his identity was disclosed and his family notified.[9][21]
Reactions
Shortly after the shooting, Walmart released a statement expressing "shock at this tragic event at our Chesapeake, Virginia store" and also indicated they were working with local law enforcement with the investigation.[25]
Politicians
On the morning after the shooting, Governor Glenn Youngkin released a statement saying that "our hearts break for the community of Chesapeake...Heinous acts of violence have no place in our communities." Chesapeake mayor Rick West also issued a statement the next morning offering his prayers to the families and thanks to the quick actions of first responders.[26] Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) said he was sickened by the shooting.[4] Virginia state senator Louise Lucas of Virginia's 18th Senate district, which includes Chesapeake, said she was "heartbroken that America's latest mass shooting took place in a Walmart in my district".[27] President Joe Biden shared his condolences and called for gun reform in the U.S.[28]
Lawsuits
Employees have filed two $50 million lawsuits against the company. According to the plaintiffs, Walmart neglected its obligations to ensure staff safety, as complaints were made repeatedly to corporate management regarding the harassing and violent behaviour of the shooter during his employment. According to the statement by the law firm representing the plaintiffs (Morgan & Morgan), "as workplace shootings and violence become horrifyingly common, employers have a responsibility to understand the warning signs and take threats seriously in order to protect their employees and customers".[29][30]
See also
- List of shootings in Virginia
- List of mass shootings in the United States in 2022
- 2019 El Paso shooting, another shooting that occurred at a Walmart store
- 2019 Virginia Beach shooting
References
- ^ a b c Burchett, Caitlyn; Munro, Ian; Stone, Gavin (November 23, 2022). "Virginia Walmart shooting updates: Sources identify gunman". The Virginian-Pilot. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ a b City of Chesapeake [@AboutChesapeake] (November 23, 2022). "We are still communicating with the victims' families and will release their information as soon as possible. We can confirm that the shooter was 31-year-old Andre Bing of Chesapeake. He was armed with one handgun and had multiple magazines on his person" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Reese, Brian; Hall, Brett; Dowding, Jon; Wolf, Michelle; Mayfield, Adrienne (November 22, 2022). "Chesapeake Walmart shooting: Multiple fatalities, injuries". WAVY-TV. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Medina, Edurado; Ives, Mike (November 22, 2022). "Multiple People Are Fatally Shot at a Walmart in Virginia". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Burchett, Caitlyn; Munro, Ian (November 22, 2022). "Multiple fatalities, injuries reported after shooting in a Chesapeake Walmart". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Elamroussi, Aya; McLaughlin, Eliott C. (November 25, 2022). "Authorities disclose note found on Walmart shooter's phone". CNN. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
The Chesapeake shooting erupted suddenly, with witnesses saying they were in shock and disbelief when they saw the gunman – a 31-year-old overnight team lead who'd worked at the store since 2010 – pointing a handgun at them. He was armed with multiple magazines, police said.
- ^ a b c Finley, Ben; Barakat, Matthew (November 25, 2022). "Walmart shooter left 'death note,' bought gun day of killing". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
Bing was identified as an overnight team leader who had been a Walmart employee since 2010. Police said he had one handgun and several magazines of ammunition.
- ^ a b c "Police: Walmart shooter bought gun just hours before killing". POLITICO. November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c Calia, Mike; Repko, Melissa (November 23, 2022). "Walmart employee killed 6 people at Virginia store before taking his own life, police say". CNBC. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
The gunman — identified as Andre Bing, 31, of Chesapeake — was a disgruntled employee, a senior law enforcement official told NBC News. He was armed with a pistol and had multiple ammunition magazines on him, officials said.
- ^ a b c Boyette, Chris (November 22, 2022). "Multiple fatalities and injuries reported in shooting at a Virginia Walmart". CNN. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Minore, Lauren; Peterson, Beatrice; Barr, Luke (November 23, 2022). "Virginia Walmart shooting updates: 7 people dead, including gunman". MSN. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ "6 killed, 4 remain hospitalized after a mass shooting at Chesapeake Walmart, CPD confirms". WAVY.com. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Witness: Walmart shooter seemed to target certain people". AP News. November 24, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ "Virginia police: Multiple people killed in Walmart shooting". Associated Press. November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ "Gunman goes on deadly shooting rampage at US Walmart". France 24. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c Maxouris, Holly Yan, Ariane de Vogue, John Miller, Curt Devine, Christina (November 23, 2022). "6 victims shot and killed in a Virginia Walmart include a 16-year-old boy, authorities say". CNN. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ "These are the victims of the deadly Chesapeake mass shooting". 13newsnow.com. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ "16-year-old killed in Chesapeake Walmart mass shooting identified by police". WJLA. November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
- ^ "Chesapeake Walmart shooting victims range in age from 16 to 70". News 3 WTKR Norfolk. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Andrew V. Pestano •. "These Are the Victims of the Virginia Walmart Shooting". NBC Connecticut. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Police: Employee at a Virginia Walmart opened fire in the store, killing 6". WCVB. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Walmart employee who shot around 10 people had a 12-year career with Walmart". Opoyi. November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ "A Chesapeake Walmart employee said the gunman told her to 'go home' after killing workers in the store". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ Cohen, Rebecca. "A Chesapeake Walmart employee said the gunman told her to 'go home' after killing workers in the store". Insider. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ "Six dead after Virginia Walmart shooting, police confirm shooter was employee". Washington Examiner. November 23, 2022.
- ^ "State, local officials express heartbreak following the deadly mass shooting at Chesapeake Walmart". WAVY-TV. November 23, 2022.
- ^ "Virginia police: Multiple people killed in Walmart shooting". POLITICO. Associated Press. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ House, The White (November 23, 2022). "Statement from President Biden on the Shooting in Chesapeake, VA". The White House. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ El-Bawab, Nadine; Barr, Luke. "Walmart employee complained about suspect's behavior months before mass shooting: Lawsuit". ABC News. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ Larche, Jessica (December 6, 2022). "Second lawsuit filed against Walmart after mass shooting in Chesapeake". News 3 WTKR. Retrieved December 29, 2022.