NewsNation

Virginia Walmart shooting: Vigil held for victims

(NewsNation) — Six families are mourning the deaths of their loved ones this Thanksgiving after a gunman opened fire inside a Chesapeake, Virginia, Walmart Tuesday night.

Police said that 31-year-old Andre Bing, an overnight team lead at Walmart, opened fire on his fellow Walmart employees just after 10 p.m. ET and then allegedly shot and killed himself.

The six victims killed were identified as Lorenzo Gamble, Brian Pendleton, Kellie Pyle, Randall Blevins, Tyneka Johnson and a 16-year-old male whose name has not been released.

At least six other victims were transported to local hospitals for further medical treatment.

A local church in Chesapeake hosted a candlelight vigil on Wednesday to pray for those impacted by the mass shooting.

“A few of us can stop on behalf of everyone else and say this is not right. We don’t want this in our community,” said Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet.

“I came out because I hope when the families are able to come out they will see that there’s love, from all of us,” Tracey Barkley, a Chesapeake community member, said.

Chesapeake Police Chief Mark Solesky said Wednesday that the gunman used a pistol in the deadly mass shooting. Later, police said he was armed with one handgun and several magazines.

At the time of the shooting, at least 50 people are believed to have been inside the store.

SWAT teams searched Bing’s home Wednesday. Authorities told NewsNation affiliate WAVY that no additional weapons, nor a motive, were found. However, witnesses believe the attack was planned, saying Bing was laughing during the shooting.

However, one law enforcement source told WAVY that Bing had a manifesto on his phone. The source said the manifesto described how Bing was upset about the recent change in employment status and was being harassed about it by fellow employees.

The attack was the second time in a little more than a week that Virginia experienced a major shooting. Three University of Virginia football players were fatally shot on a charter bus as they returned to campus from a field trip on Nov. 13. Two other students were wounded.

The assault at the Walmart came days after a person opened fire at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five people and wounding 17. 

NewsNation affiliate WAVY and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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