Many fatalities and injuries have been reported after a gunman opens fire at a Walmart supermarket in Chesapeake, in the US state of Virginia.
Gatekeepers News reports that Chesapeake Police public information officer, Leo Kosinski said officers responded to the store around 10:12 P.M. and found evidence of a shooting inside. He noted that the suspect acted alone.
The officers entered the store and discovered multiple people dead and injured, Kosinski said. He added that police couldn’t yet confirm a specific number of deaths, but they believe it’s “less than ten.”
Kosinski said the shooter is believed to be among the dead. According to reports, the man believed, to be the store manager, opened fire then turned the gun on himself.
Chesapeake Police’s public information officer noted that it’s not believed any law enforcement officers fired shots during the response.
Officers are still going through the store to search for more potential victims as at the time of filing this report.
The Washington, DC, field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is assisting local police in the investigation, the bureau said on Twitter.
Chesapeake city officials asked people to stay away from the store during the investigation. “Our first responders are well-trained and prepared to respond; please give them space to do so” the city said in a tweet.
Virginia state Senator Louise Lucas said she was “absolutely heartbroken” at what she described as “America’s latest mass shooting”.
She added on Twitter: “I will not rest until we find the solutions to end this gun violence epidemic in our country.”
