Holly MatkinChesapeake, VA – The gunman who fatally shot six people and wounded at least four more during a mass shooting inside a Chesapeake Walmart store on Tuesday night was a shift supervisor who worked at the business for more than a decade.
The City of Chesapeake has identified the gunman as 31-year-old Andre Bing, FOX News reported.
Walmart said Bing was employed as an “overnight team lead” who had been working for the store for the past 12 years, according to the news outlet.
“While details of the tragic incident in our Chesapeake, Virginia, store are still emerging, authorities have confirmed multiple fatalities,” Walmart said in a statement to FOX News. “We are focused on doing everything we can to support our associates and their families at this time.”
“The alleged shooter has been identified as Andre Bing. We can confirm that he was a Walmart associate,” the company said.
City officials said the suspect used a handgun and was carrying multiple magazines at the time of the attack, FOX News reported.
The City of Chesapeake announced the names of those killed in the mass shooting late Wednesday afternoon.
They were identified as Randall Blevins, Tyneka Johnson, Kellie Pyle, Brian Pendleton, Lorenzo Gamble, and a 16-year-old male whose name was not released because he was a minor.
Walmart employee Briana Tyler she and about 15 or 20 other members of the store’s overnight stocking team were gathered in a meeting room, waiting for instructions about their duties for the day, when her manager suddenly walked in and began shooting at everyone, according to the news outlet.
“It is by the grace of God that a bullet missed me,” Tyler told FOX News. “I saw the smoke leaving the gun, and I literally watched bodies drop. It was crazy.”
Tyler said her mind couldn’t initially comprehend what was happening, and that her first thought was that it was some sort of training situation.
“It was all happening so fast,” she told FOX News. “I thought it was like a test type of thing. Like, if you do have an active shooter, this is how you respond.”
Tyler said the gunman didn’t appear to be aiming at anyone in specific.
“He was just shooting all throughout the room. It didn’t matter who he hit. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t look at anybody in any specific type of way,” she said.
Another witness said she heard the gunman laughing as he opened fire, WAVY reported.
But that witness disagreed with claims that the gunman was shooting victims at random and instead alleged that the he was targeting other store managers.
Jessie Wilczewski, another employee who was present in the meeting room, said the shooter pointed his gun at her as she was trying to hide beneath a table, FOX News reported.
She said he spared her and told her to go home, so she ran out of the room.
“My heart hurts for our associates and the Chesapeake community who have lost or injured loved ones,” Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement, according to FOX News. “We are here for them today and in the challenging days ahead they will have our support. We appreciate all of our associates, first responders, and local officials who are already on site helping offer support as we work together to navigate this tragedy.”
The attack occurred at the big box store located just off of Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake shortly after 10 p.m. on Nov. 22, WAVY reported.
Chesapeake Police Department (CPD) Chief Mark Solesky said during a press conference on Wednesday morning that the first 911 call about the shooting came in to authorities at 10:12 p.m.
Chief Solesky said officers “responded immediately” and were on-scene at the mass shooting within two minutes of receiving that initial call.
Police said there were approximately 50 people inside the store when the attack occurred.
Officers entered the store at 10:16 p.m. and found the gunman dead from what was believed to have been a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to the police chief.
Chief Solesky said he believed the suspect was already deceased when police located him.
A total of six victims have been pronounced dead.
Four other victims remained hospitalized with gunshot wounds at various medical centers on Wednesday morning, according to officials.
Their conditions were not immediately released.
Two of the victims who were murdered were found in the store’s break room, the City of Chesapeake said.
The gunman’s body was discovered in the same room.
Walmart released a statement about the deadly mass shooting early on Nov. 23, WAVY reported.
“We are shocked at this tragic event at our Chesapeake, Virginia store,” the business said. “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.”
Chesapeake Mayor Rick West also released a statement.
“I am devastated by the senseless act of violence that took place last night in our City,” West wrote. “My prayers are with all those affected – the victims their family, their friends, and their coworkers.”
“I am grateful for the quick actions taken by our first responders who rushed to the scene,” the mayor continued. “Chesapeake is a tightknit community and we are all shaken by this news. Together, we will support each other throughout this time. Please keep up in your prayers.”
Sandy Malone
