Who were the victims of the Virginia Walmart shooting?
(NewsNation) — Authorities have identified the six people who were killed when a gunman opened fire Tuesday night inside a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia.
The shooter is also dead, city officials said early Wednesday. Walmart said in a statement the shooter was an employee identified as Andre Bing, 31. He was an overnight team lead who was employed with Walmart since 2010.
“The City of Chesapeake has always been known as the “City That Cares” and now, more than ever, we know our city will show up and care for those who need it most,” the city of Chesapeake said in a release Wednesday.
This is what we know so far about those who died:
Randy Blevins of Chesapeake, 70
Randy Blevins never missed a single day of work, his daughter, Cassandra Yeats, said.
“He loved his family and supported everyone,” she said, according to the New York Times.
Among his other loves, the newspaper said, were Norfolk Admirals hockey games, photography and collecting coins.
“There wasn’t any way anybody could have had a grudge against him,” his cousin said to The Washington Post. “He’s the last one you’d expect something like this to happen to. There is absolutely nothing bad I could say about him, even if he was living.”
Lorenzo Gamble of Chesapeake, 43
Lorenzo Gamble’s mother said in The Washington Post that he was in charge of both the banana pudding cake and banana pudding for their Thanksgiving dinner.
Gamble, who worked at Walmart for 15 years, loved spending time with his two sons, attending his 19-year-old’s football games, and rooting for the Washington Commanders. In a phone interview with The Post, Gamble’s mom said his 10-year-old would cry whenever his father left.
“He just kept to himself and did his job,” she said. “He was the quiet one of the family.”
Tyneka Johnson of Portsmouth, 38
Johnson attended Western Branch High School, where she was tutored by Casheba Cannon. Cannon told the Washington Post that Johnson was cheerful, helped younger students, and was working to better herself.
Cannon remembered Johnson having a sense of style, and love for music and dancing, as well as an “ebullient personality.”
“She was that kid. When she came to tutoring, she was very well put together,” Cannon said. “Tyneka was a light in a dim room.”
Brian Pendleton of Chesapeake, 38
Brian Pendleton’s mother said her son made sure to be punctual.
He always came to work early so he would be on time, she told The Associated Press.
Pendleton, who recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary at the Chesapeake Walmart, grew up in the city and was born with a congenital brain disorder.
“Brian was a happy-go-lucky guy. Brian loved family. Brian loved friends. He loved to tell jokes,” his mother said. “We’re going to miss him.”
Josh Johnson, who had worked at the store for two and a half years, viewed Pendleton as an “older brother” who always remained humble. Johnson said in The New York Times that Pendleton was among the store’s hardest workers.
Kellie Pyle of Chesapeake, 52
Pyle, who had two grown children and a 2-year-old granddaughter, according to The Washington Post, had recently started her job at the Chesapeake Walmart after moving back to Norfolk to be with a high school sweetheart she reconnected with after a divorce.
Pyle’s cousin described her “sarcastic sense of humor” in the Post. With two grown children and a 2-year-old granddaughter, Pyle had been looking forward to sharing the holidays with her family.
“We grew up in a crazy family, and we understood each other,” Billy Pillar-Gibson said. “I don’t remember life without her.”
Fernando Chavez-Barron of Chesapeake, 16
Over 100 friends and family of Chavez-Barron gathered to remember him during a vigil, The Virginian-Pilot reports. Friends described him as “humble and intelligent,” the newspaper said.
Joshua Trejo, 17 and Chavez-Barron’s friend since middle school, said he was “such a nice kid.”
“He would say hi to anybody,” Trejo said, according to the Virginian-Pilot. Trejo and Chavez-Barron were looking forward to working at a new job together after the new year.
Family friend Rosy Perez told the New York Times that the 16-year-old, who attended a local high school, was working the overnight shift at Walmart to help his family.
“He was a very good child,” Perez said.
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.