An employee of a Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia, opened fire on colleagues Tuesday evening, killing six people and wounding four more at the retail outlet before turning the gun on himself, the city's Police Chief Mark Solesky said Wednesday.
Officers were dispatched to an "active threat" situation at the Walmart Supercenter at 10:12 p.m. local time, Chesapeake police spokesperson Leo Kosinski told reporters.
Solesky said officers were on the scene within two minutes, entered the store two minutes after that and within just about an hour they had cleared the store and located all of the victims.
The suspect was also found dead and police were not seeking anyone else in connection with the shooting.
Solesky said the suspected employee was found dead of what they believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He said a pistol was used in the shooting.
The suspect's name has not yet been released pending notification of his next of kin, according to the police chief.
The FBI's office in Norfolk, Virginia confirmed that the agency was providing assistance to the Chesapeake Police Department, which was the lead agency on the investigation.
Four additional victims were still being treated on Wednesday morning in area hospitals, but the nature and extent of their injuries were not clear, Solesky said.
The shooting occurred inside the store, Kosinksi said Tuesday evening, although at least one body was found outside. According to Walmart's website, the store was open to customers at the time of the shooting.
Chesapeake Mayor Rick West released a statement early Wednesday morning saying he was "devastated by the senseless act of violence" and lauding first responders.
Chesapeake is located in southern Virginia's coastal Hampton Roads region, which includes the cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
Kosinksi said a "reunification site" was established at the Chesapeake Conference Center, which a city Twitter account said was "for immediate family members or the emergency contact of those who may have been in the building."
