US: Shooting at Virginia Walmart store, up to 10 killed
Up to 10 people were killed and many others injured after a gunman opened fire inside a department store in Virginia, United States, on Tuesday night. The shooting was reported at a Walmart department store near Sam's Circle in Chesapeake. Multiple reports quoting the police said that the suspected shooter was also found dead. However, the cause of his death is still unclear.
Why does this story matter?
The shooting is the latest in a series of gun violence incidents in the US despite the Senate passing a gun violence bill in June. Just three days ago, a mass shooting inside a Colorado gay nightclub killed five people. It was the second deadliest attack on an LGBTQ event in the US after the 2016 mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
What did officials say?
"Chesapeake Police confirm an active shooter incident with fatalities at the Walmart on Sam's Circle. The shooter is deceased," tweeted the City of Chesapeake. The gunman shot and killed multiple people at the Walmart store shortly after 10:00 pm on Tuesday (local time), per officials. Cops said "up to 10" people were killed in the incident, while the number of injured persons is unclear.
Visuals of the spot where shooter opened fire
Suspected shooter also among the dead: Police
Chesapeake Police spokesperson Leo Kosinski stated the shooter was also among the deceased, The New York Times reported. However, his name remained unknown, and authorities also haven't yet ascertained if the shooter was a store employee or whether he committed suicide or died from a self-inflicted wound. Kosinski further stated that he did not believe any bullets were fired by the police personnel.
Similar shooting incidents this month
The latest shooting comes only three days after a weekend mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs, Colorado, claimed five lives. Earlier this month, three members of the University of Virginia football team were also shot dead in Charlottesville, Virginia. According to officials, the Charlottesville shooter was a former football player who allegedly opened fire inside a garage.
Horrific shooting incident in Texas school
Earlier, in May 2022, in a horrific incident, 19 students and two teachers were killed in a Texas school shooting. This mass shooting is the deadliest since the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut, in which 26 were killed. In the same month, 10 African-Americans were shot dead in a grocery store in New York's Buffalo, while a California church shooting claimed one life.
