The community of Chesapeake, Virginia was rocked Tuesday night by a deadly mass shooting at a Walmart store.
According to police, witnesses, and survivors, a store manager used a handgun to open fire on fellow employees, killing six and wounding several others before turning the gun on himself, the Associated Press reported.
As of Wednesday morning, there were four wounded victims of the shooting still hospitalized and receiving treatment for their injuries.
Manager reportedly targeted other employees
Local media outlet WAVY reported that the incident began around 10:15 p.m., while more than a dozen employees who had just checked in for the night shift were gathered in the breakroom for a briefing to start their day at work.
Witnesses said the shooting began near the back of the store but the police did find one deceased individual near the store’s front entrance.
The name of the male shooter armed with a handgun has not yet been revealed by the police, but he was identified as a manager at the store, and at least one employee who survived the shooting said that the deadly assault appeared to have been planned, that the shooter seemed to be targeting other managers at the store, and that he was laughing while committing the heinous crime.
The outlet reported that local police arrived on the scene quickly and were soon reinforced by officers from nearby jurisdictions as well as agents from the ATF and FBI.
Swift response from police
The Virginian-Pilot reported that a law enforcement response and family reunification center was established outside of the nearby Chesapeake Conference Center.
The first calls to 911 about the incident came in at 10:12 pm and local police responded by 10:14 pm. After a sweep of the premises, the Walmart was declared clear by 11:20 pm.
Walmart, Inc. said in a statement, “We are shocked at this tragic event at our Chesapeake, Virginia store. We’re praying for those impacted, the community and our associates. We’re working closely with law enforcement, and we are focused on supporting our associates.”
Democrats demand more gun control
Fox News reported that, rather predictably, a number of Democratic politicians on the local and national level, including President Joe Biden, wasted no time in immediately demanding stricter gun control laws following yet another “senseless” shooting.
Of course, it is not yet known how many already existing gun control laws were ignored and violated by the shooter or if any of the many proposed anti-gun regulations Democrats have put forward would have done anything to prevent this horrendous act of mass murder.