"Walmart Shooter in the US Appears to Have Targeted Specific Person, Witness Testifies"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Reports have emerged that the shooter targeted specific individuals during the Walmart shooting incident in Chesapeake, Virginia, which occurred just before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. All victims who died in the shooting have been confirmed as Walmart employees.

On the 24th (local time), the Associated Press cited a witness who confirmed that on the night of the 22nd, shooter Andre Bing was seen in the Walmart employee break room selecting and shooting people as if on a hunt.

One witness said, "He checked if the people he wanted dead were actually dead," and "He went back and shot the bodies lying on the floor." This witness, who was in their fifth day working at Walmart, said they did not know much about the shooter's interpersonal relationships but speculated that the shooter might not have killed them because they were a new employee.

Earlier, the Walmart shooting resulted in six deaths, including store employees, and six injuries. According to police authorities and Walmart, the perpetrator was identified as 31-year-old Andre Bing, an overnight team manager who joined the company in 2010. The shooter was found dead shortly after the incident, and police believe he took his own life.

Walmart confirmed that all the victims were employees of the company. Police are currently investigating the motive behind the crime. However, another Walmart employee who was present at the scene during the shooting mentioned that "Bing was shooting throughout the entire break room," suggesting it appeared to be indiscriminate firing. It is estimated that about 50 people, including shoppers preparing for Thanksgiving, were in the store at the time of the incident.

Shooting incidents continue to occur frequently in the United States. This incident happened just three days after a mass shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado on the 19th, which left five dead and 17 injured. Prior to that, on the 13th, a shooting occurred on the Virginia University campus, killing three players from the university's football team. In May, a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, resulted in 22 deaths. Local media reported that there have been 40 mass shootings in the U.S. this year with four or more fatalities, the highest number since 2019 (45 cases).