A gunman opened fire at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia at around 10 pm (local time) on Tuesday, News Nation reported. Police said the shooter is dead and 10 people died in the shooting. At least one person was killed outside the store. 

There is speculation within media circles that the shooter was an employee of the Walmart. Police, however, said it’s unclear whether the shooter was an employee or not. The shooting incident took place at the Walmart just off Battlefield Boulevard.

Virginia Senator L Louis Lucas tweeted: “I am absolutely heartbroken that America’s latest mass shooting took place in a Walmart in my district in Chesapeake, Virginia tonight. I will not rest until we find the solutions to end this gun violence epidemic in our country that has taken so many lives.”

Police told CNN the shooter is believed to be among the dead. No law enforcement officers fired shots during the response. Police are still at the scene in search of more victims. 

The Washington, DC, field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is helping the local police with the investigation. 

Chesapeake city officials have asked people to stay away from the store for now. “Our first responders are well-trained and prepared to respond; please give them space to do so,” the city authority said in a tweet. 

Joetta Jeffery, whose mother Betsy Umphlett was inside the store when the shooting took place while she waited outside, said she received a text from her mother saying someone had opened fire, CNN reported. 

“I’m crying, I’m shaking. I had just talked to her about buying turkeys for Thanksgiving, then this text came in,” she told CNN. Jeffery added that her mother is unhurt but in shock. They’ve been reunited. 

City officials said a reunification center has been set up at the Chesapeake Conference Center. Police have advised only family members and emergency contacts to go to the center.