Chesapeake, Nov 23 (Reuters) – Seven people were killed in a shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Va., days after a shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado killed five and injured 17. died and several were injured.
The city of Chesapeake confirmed the death in a tweet early Wednesday morning, citing city police.
Police said in an initial update that they believed fewer than 10 people had been killed, according to spokesman Leo Kosinski.
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Police were then looking for victims who may have been injured or in a “very large” store with many hideouts.
“I want to make sure everyone is accounted for,” he said. He added that police believe only one gunman was killed.
Police have yet to release the suspect’s details, but multiple media outlets have identified him as the store owner. Kosinski said police weren’t sure whether the shooter was employed by Walmart.
Police were unsure if the shooter died from self-inflicted injuries. They believed the shooting took place inside the store but said a body was found outside. Kosinski also said that “to the best of his knowledge” the police had never been shot. “I think the shooting stopped when the police arrived.”
Tuesday’s bloodbath was the latest episode of gun violence in the United States to ignite debate about tougher restrictions on access to guns.
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The City of Chesapeake said on Twitter that a press conference in response to the Walmart shooting will be held Wednesday at 8 a.m. local time.
Walmart said in a statement earlier Wednesday that it was “shocked” by the violence and was working closely with law enforcement.
A spokesman for Sentara Norfolk General Hospital told WAVY his television that five patients were being treated there. “I am disgusted by reports of a shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake this time. We will be monitoring developments closely,” Virginia Senator Mark Warner tweeted on Wednesday.
Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further comment.
