Andre Bing legally bought 9mm handgun used in Chesapeake Walmart shooting, police confirm

While investigating how Andre Bing, a Walmart employee, got his hands on a 9mm gun, which he used to shoot and kill 6 people and injure several others inside the Chesapeake, Virginia store that he worked in, police have found that the gunman had legally purchased the firearm. 

Authorities have confirmed that Bing bought the weapon used for the attack on the morning of November 23, the day the mass shooting took place. The gun was purchased from a “local store” just hours before Bing used it on his own fellow employees before turning the gun on himself. 

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After the shooting, many people questioned Virginia’s gun safety laws and whether the state’s recently enacted reform measures could have prevented such an attack. 

According to Virginia state law, universal background checks are mandatory for gun sales. There are reporting requirements for lost or stolen firearms. One can purchase only one handgun per month. There is also something called a “red flag” provision that allows law enforcement to seize firearms from people who pose an immediate threat to themselves or others.

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A recent bill limits the possession of a firearm for people who have been previously convicted of assaulting a family member. It is important to point out in this regard that Bing did not have a criminal history.

Chesapeake officials also confirmed that police recovered “a box of ammunition” from the suspect’s home, in addition to a box, receipt, and related paperwork for the 9mm handgun that was used in the shooting

Newly elected Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has indicated that he could roll back some of those measures.

Everytown for Gun Safety reports that roughly 1,065 people are killed by gun violence in Virginia every year, and 1,911 others are wounded.