CNN
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After the normal working day has turned deadly at Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, survivors and investigators celebrate Thanksgiving holiday doubt the motive of en employee who opened fire on colleagues, killing six before the fatal turn gun on myself.
Employees were getting ready for night shift on tuesday manager opened fire with pistol in restroom just after 10 p.m., officials said.
The authorities have identified people murdered were Randy Blevins, 70, Lorenzo Gamble, 43, Tyneka Johnson, 22, Brian Pendleton, 38, Kelly Pyle, 52, and a 16-year-old year-old boy who was not named because he is a minor.
Two people injured in the shooting remained in the hospital in critical condition on Thanksgiving and one The wounded victim was discharged on Wednesday, a spokesman for Centara Norfolk Hospital said.
“I know this is the community and me know this is good. And I know that we will come together and lend a helping hand to the families of the victims,” Chesapeake Mayor Rick West said Wednesday. in video message.
Shooting, another example of how horrible gun Violence is turning American life upside down in the most common settings left many mourn the loss of loved ones and survivors, traumatized by what they have witnessed. Like a long journey of processing these emotions begins questions on what could have led to the killings is delayed.
Dona Priolo was inside employee break room when the shooter started firing colleagues, she said.
“We are not know what kind made him to do it,” said Priolo. “Nobody of us understand why it happened.”
The shooter was identified as Andre Bing. who worked like a night”team lead”. 31-year- the old one worked for Walmart since 2010, the company said. The authorities said that he one semi-automatic pistol and several ammo magazines.
Bing shot three of Priolo’s friends ‘before I took off Run. Half of us didn’t believe it was real while some of us saw all the blood on in floor,” she said.
Two people were killed and the shooters were found in break room, another victim was found ahead of at the store, and three others died at Chesapeake Hospital. city officials said. Officials were still trying to determine the exact number of injury like some people could end up in hospitals.
Mayor plans hold a picket in the city park on Monday evening, according to tweet from city.
“Today we are focused only of those affected by the tragic Tuesday event, but the police investigation is ongoing and we expect additional information available tomorrow,” officials said. in tweet on Thursday.
motive for shooting remained unclear on Thursday, This was stated by Chesapeake Police Chief Mark Solesky.
This week’s violence was at least the third mass shooting in Virginia this month, according to the Gun Violence Archive, against background of the grief that many Americans across the country are experiencing this Thanksgiving as loved ones have been lost or injured in executions.
Just 170 miles to the west of Chesapeake 22-year-old student in university of Virginia in Charlottesville allegedly opened fire on fellow students November 13, killing three of them on a bus returning to campus after a field trip to Washington, DC.
Weekend 22-year- the old man shot five people at an LGBTQ nightclub in Authorities said 19 others were injured in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As well as six months ago thursday, shooter in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers, tragedy in which victims are still looking for answers.
“How do you celebrate when you are empty. How are you give thank you when you have nothing left to give. How you pretend and smile when you wake up up crying,” wrote Brett Cross on Thursday. of his nephew Uzia Garcia, who was killed in Uvalde.
In general, the United States suffered. more than 600 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Archive of Gun Violence. Both the nonprofit and CNN define mass shootings as in what four or more people shot, not counting the attacker.
Talking about the epidemic Arizona former member of the U.S. House of Representatives Gabby Giffords, who was badly injured in mass shooting 2011, tweeted thanksgiving eve plea for reforms: “We cannot remain a nation of gun violence and mass shootings. We can not live like this is. We must act.”
in the Chesapeake horror started less than an hour before store was set close after busy holiday shopping day.
Jesse Wilchevski, who was recently hired, told CNN that she in regular scheduled meeting in break room when she saw the arrow in doorway pointing to gun.
At first she did not think that what she saw was real, but then she felt her chest pounding, and her ears rang like a stream. of Shots were fired, she said. In first, he “was not registered as realshe said while sound of shots echoed in her chest.
Vilchevsky hid under the table when the shooter walked down adjacent corridor. She could see some of her colleagues on in floor or lie on chairs – all motionless and some probably dead, she said. She stayed because want leave them alone.
“I could run out this door… and I stayed. I stayed so they wouldn’t be alone in them last moments,” Vilchevsky said. in message to families of two victims.
When the shooter returned to the break room, Wilczewski said he told her to get out. out from under the table and go home.
“I had to touch the door that was closed (in blood,” she said. “I just I remember clutching my bag and thinking “If he’s going to shoot me in in back – well, he really has to try hard cause I’m running” and I ordered it. …and I didn’t stop until I got to my car And then I had a nervous breakdown.”
Briana Tyler, also newly hired employee just started her shift when the gunshots rang out.
“All of suddenly you just Do you hear, pa-pa-pa-pa-pa,” Tyler told CNN, adding that she saw bullets flying. just inches from her face. “It wasn’t a break in in between where you can really try to process it.”
The shooter had a “blank look”. on his facewhen he looked around the room and fired at peopleTyler said.
“There was people just fall on floor,” she said. “Everyone was screaming, choking, and yes, he just left after that and just continued throughout store as well as just continued to shoot.
The shooter displayed some disturbing behavior in in pastother employees said.
Shaundriya Reese, who worked with a shooter from 2015 to 2018 described him as a loner.
“He always said government watched him. he is not like social media and he kept black ribbon on his phone camera. Everyone always thought that something wrong with him,” Reese said.
Joshua Johnson, former maintenance the worker at the store said the shooter made ominous threats if he ever loses his job.
“He said that if he was ever fired from his job, he would take revenge and people would remember who he was,” Johnson said.
Hear Walmart employee who shooting witness describe managerx reputation
Neither Johnson nor Reese reported any concerns about Bing to management, they said.
Walmart says it works in a statement. with local law enforcement in investigation.
“We feel the tragedy like it’s personal and deep. But this one especially painful as we learned the shooter was a Walmart partner.” – President & CEO of Walmart US John Ferner said in statement. “All Walmart family heartbroken. Our hearts and prayers with victims.”
