As previously reported by REVOLT, last night (Nov. 22), a gunman opened fire at a Chesapeake, Virginia Walmart. The incident claimed the lives of at least seven people, including the shooter. According to officials, the suspect was believed to be an employee of the store.
Today (Nov. 23), President Joe Biden condemned the attack. “Because of yet another horrific and senseless act of violence, there are now even more tables across the country that will have empty seats this Thanksgiving. There are now more families who know the worst kind of loss and pain imaginable,” the president said in a statement. The mass shooting came just days before the holiday. According to NBC News, in addition to the six people killed, at least four others were wounded in the Walmart shooting spree before the suspect took their own life.
At this time, authorities are still working to establish a motive. The shooter has not yet been identified, but there are reports that it may have been a manager at the Walmart. NBC News added that police officers were searching the suspect’s home this morning for clues to aid in the ongoing investigation. Leo Kosinski, the public information officer for the Chesapeake Police Department, also issued a statement about the tragedy. “We’re a couple days before the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s just a bad time all around, just for everybody involved — especially the victims. This is horrible,” he shared.
On social media, users shared their condolences and disbelief. “People are really losing their minds. A manager walked into the break room at the Walmart on Battlefield (Chesapeake, VA) and started shooting employees then killed himself. This world is such an evil place; [and] right before the holidays, too. We’re really not safe anywhere,” one person tweeted. Another said, “Multiple people were just shot [and] killed at Walmart in Chesapeake, VA. You can’t go into a supermarket, church, school, movie theater, office building, your own home. You can’t go anywhere in America without the risk of being shot. Why is this?”
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