Walmart, the biggest retailer in the United States, expressed its shock at the tragic incident in a statement early on November 23. According to police, a gunman shot and killed multiple people in a Walmart store in the US state of Virginia late on November 22. The local police added that the single shooter suspect is also dead.
The statement from Walmart read, “We are shocked at this tragic event.” The company added that they are “praying for those impacted, the community and our associates. We’re working closely with law enforcement, and we are focused on supporting our associates.”
“We were able to find multiple fatalities and multiple injured parties,” Chesapeake Police Department officer Leo Kosinski said at the scene, adding that rapid response officers and tactical teams entered the store “immediately” after arriving. “We believe it is a single shooter and that single shooter is deceased at this time,” he said, without elaborating on how the suspect died.
While the store was still open, emergency calls began shortly after 10:00 p.m. on November 22 (0300 GMT November 23). There was a large police presence at the scene, according to news footage, with Kosinski saying several officers and investigators were carefully sweeping the store and securing the area.
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The exact number of fatalities was unknown. According to Kosinski, police believe no more than ten people were killed. The incident happened three nights after a gunman opened fire inside an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and injuring at least 18, in what is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
Authorities said the suspect, identified as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, used a long rifle at the club, where partygoers were commemorating Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honours trans people who have been victims of violent attacks.
