A mass shooting was reported at a Walmart in the city of Chesapeake in Virginia on Tuesday night. Chesapeake Police Department said that multiple people lost their lives in the incident and several others have been injured. The suspect is also dead, the police told reporters.
Chesapeake Police confirm an active shooter incident with fatalities at the Walmart on Sam’s Circle. The shooter is deceased. Follow us here for the only official updates. Our first responders are well-trained and prepared to respond; please give them space to do so.
— City of Chesapeake (@AboutChesapeake) November 23, 2022
The number of those dead or injured has not been confirmed yet. However, Leo Kosinski, a spokesperson with the department, later said that the death toll is probably below 10. The police said that within 45 minutes of reaching the Walmart, they found several fatalities inside the store, while one person was found dead outside the entrance.
The call about the shooting came in at 10:12 pm. People have been asked to stay away from the scene as there is still a heavy police presence at the scene of the shooting. Kosinski further said that only one shooter seems to have been involved in the incident.
Virginia state Senator Louise Lucas, in a statement on Tuesday night, said, “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.”
The latest such incident comes just days after a gunman opened fire at an gay club in Colorado, killing five people and injuring over 17. Earlier this year, a shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas left 21 dead.
In 2019, a Walmart shooting had happened in El Paso where 22 people died. The police said that the gunman was targeting Mexicans.
(With inputs from agencies)
