A Tuesday night shooting at a Walmart supermarket in Virginia, in the eastern United States, left six people dead and the suspected shooter also dead, authorities said on Wednesday, in a new gun drama that comes ahead of celebrations Thanksgiving and following a shooting last weekend at an LGBT club in Colorado.
• Read also: Five dead in an LGBTQ club in the United States, the alleged shooter arrested
“Chesapeake police confirm seven victims, including the shooter, following last night’s shooting at Walmart on Sam’s Circle,” tweeted the municipality of this city located 240 km from the capital Washington.
A Chesapeake police official, Leo Kosinski, had previously explained to the press on the spot that there had been “several victims”, specifying that the intervention teams had arrived “immediately” following an emergency call at 10:00 p.m. (03:00 GMT Wednesday). The store, still open at that time, was packed with customers ahead of the party, according to local media.
These media quoted witnesses as saying that the shooting began at the back of the store and at least five injured people were taken to hospital.
Police have not provided any details regarding the identity of the suspected shooter or how he died. “We believe it was a single shooter and he is now deceased,” Kosinski said, adding that he did not believe any shots were fired by police.
Many police officers were present at the scene of the shooting, according to images released by the news media. Investigators are combing through the supermarket and securing the area, Kosinski said.
“We are shocked by this tragic event at our Chesapeake, Va. store,” Walmart tweeted Wednesday.
“We are praying for those affected, the community and our collaborators. We work closely with law enforcement and are dedicated to supporting our employees,” adds the American supermarket giant.
Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas said she was “totally heartbroken that the last mass shooting in America took place at a Walmart in my district of Chesapeake.”
“I will find no rest until we find solutions to end this endemic gun violence that has stolen so many lives in our country,” the senator continued on Twitter.
“Tragically, our community is experiencing yet another incident of senseless gun violence just as families gather for Thanksgiving” celebrated Thursday, Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott tweeted.
The Chesapeake Walmart shooting comes three days following another Saturday night shooting in Colorado Springs (central) that left five dead and at least 18 injured at an LGBTQ club commemorating Transgender Day of Remembrance that night, dedicated to victims of transphobic violence and celebrated internationally.
The Colorado Springs shooter, identified as a 22-year-old man named Anderson Lee Aldrich, was subdued by two patrons.
He might be prosecuted for murders and crimes motivated by hate, an expression designating in the United States an act directed once morest a targeted person because of elements of his identity such as race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or a disability. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The United States is a regular scene of mass killings and other gun violence. According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 600 mass shootings have taken place since the beginning of the current year.
However, the issue of arms control remains politically highly sensitive and Congress remains reluctant to toughen legislation in this area.
