INSIDE A WALMART IN CHESAPEAKE,
VIRGINIA.
THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW AT THIS
HOUR.
POLICE CONFIRMING THAT SIX
PEOPLE WERE KILLED.
THE SHOOTER IS ALSO DEAD.
>> WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A
STANDOFF WITH THE POLICE OR
WHETHER OFFICERS FIRED A SHOT.
THE GUNMAN'S MOTIVES STILL
UNCLEAR THIS MORNING.
>> AND POLICE ARE GOING TO BE
HOLDING A NEWS CONFERENCE ANY
MOMENT NOW.
WHEN IT GBEGINS, WE ARE GOING T
TAKE YOU THERE LIVE TO HOPEFULLY
GET MORE DETAILS ON WHAT POPPY
JUST LAID OUT.
WE DID HEAR FROM THE GOVERNOR OF
VIRGINIA, GLENN YOUNGKIN.
HE TWEETED OUR HEARTS BREAK FOR
THE COMMUNITY OF CHESAPEAKE.
HEINOUS ACTS OF VIOLENCE HAVE NO
PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
>> LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO THAT
PRESS CONFERENCE NOW.
>> GOOD MORNING.
WE ARE TRULY SADDENED AT THE
TRAGEDY THAT TOOK PLACE IN OUR
COMMUNITY LAST NIGHT.
WE ARE ALL PRAYING FOR THE
FAMILY, FRIENDS AND CO-WORKERS
OF EVERYONE THAT'S AFFECTED BY
THIS SENSELESS VIOLENCE.
I WANT TO SAY TO THEM THAT YOUR
CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITY IS HERE FOR
YOU AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE HERE
FOR YOU DURING THE DIFFICULT
DAYS, MONTHS AND YEARS AHEAD.
CHESAPEAKE FIRST RESPONDERS ARE
WELL TRAINED FOR SUCH INCIDENTS.
THEY RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND
WILL CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK OF
INVESTIGATING AND ASKING
QUESTIONS IN THE DAYS TO COME.
WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE MULTI
AGENCY RESPONSE WE RECEIVED.
I'LL NOW GO OVER A TIMELINE OF
EVENTS FOR YOU.
OUR 911 DISPATCH CENTER RECEIVED
THE FIRST CALL AT 10:12 P.M.
LAST NIGHT.
THE FIRST OFFICERS ARRIVED ON
SCENE WITHIN TWO MINUTES AT
10:14 AND ENTERED THE STORE,
APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES LATER,
AT 10:16.
THE FIRST RESPONDING OFFICERS
ENTERED THE STORE AND THE SCENE
WAS DECLARED SAFE BY 11:20 P.M.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR
SINCERE THANKS FOR THE IMMEDIATE
ASSISTANCE WE RECEIVED FROM THE
CHESAPEAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE
CHESAPEAKE COMMONWEALTH
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE VIRGINIA
BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE
VIRGINIA STATE POLICE, THE FBI
AND THE ATF.
WHILE OUR INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES, WE CAN TELL YOU THE
FOLLOWING.
SIX VICTIMS HAVE DIED.
FOUR VICTIMS ARE IN AREA
HOSPITALS WITH CONDITIONS
UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.
AND THE SUSPECT IS DEAD FROM
WHAT WE BELIEVE WAS A
SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND.
THE CHESAPEAKE POLICE S.W.A.T.
TEAM EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT
AT THE SUSPECT'S RESIDENCE.
WITH THE HELP OF THE VIRGINIA
STATE POLICE WE CLEARED THE
HOUSE.
WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT
THERE'S NO RISK TO THE PUBLIC AT
THIS TIME.
AGAIN, WHILE THIS INVESTIGATION
IS ONGOING, I'LL GO AHEAD AND
TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS NOW.
>> CAN YOU GIVE US THE IDENTITY
OF THE SHOOTER?
>> WE CANNOT TELL THE IDENTITY
OF THE SHOOTER BECAUSE HIS NEXT
OF KIN HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
REPORTS THAT THE SHOOTER WAS AN
EMPLOYEE OF THE WALMART.
CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT?
>> YES, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT.
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
>> HE WANTED TO KNOW IS THE
SHOOTER AN EMPLOYEE OF WALMART
AND WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM
THAT.
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
>> I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT.
YOU HAVE TO CHECK WITH WALMART
TO BE SURE.
A PISTOL IS ALL WE'RE ABLE TO
SAY AT THIS TIME.
>> CAN YOU CONFIRM OR DO YOU
KNOW IF THESE ATTACKS WERE
TARGETED WITH THE EMPLOYEES OR
IF THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS SHOOTING
AT RANDOM?
>> WE DON'T KNOW AT THIS TIME.
THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL
ONGOING SO THERE'S NO CLEAR
MOTIVE AT THIS TIME.
>> DO WE KNOW IF THE VICTIMS ARE
ALSO ALL EMPLOYEES?
>> WE CAN CONFIRM THAT AT THIS
TIME.
>> WAS THE SUSPECT WEARING ANY
TYPE OF -- WHAT HE WAS WEARING,
WAS THERE ANY ACCESSORIES OR
AMMO ON THE PERSON?
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT
INFORMATION, I'M SORRY.
>> IT WAS SAID THAT THE SHOOTING
HAPPENED IN THE BREAK ROOM.
WERE THEY -- WAS THE DOOR LOCKED
BEHIND THIS INDIVIDUAL AFTER THE
SHOOTING STARTED?
CAN YOU SHARE ANY MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
INSIDE THE ROOM AT THAT TIME?
>> I CANNOT.
LIKE I SAID, THE INVESTIGATION
IS STILL ONGOING.
WE'LL BE PROCESSING THAT SCENE
FOR DAYS SO WE'RE REALLY NOT
SURE AND I'D HATE TO PUT OUT
MISINFORMATION.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION
ON THE SHOOTER'S BACKGROUND --
>> NO, MA'AM, NOT AT THIS TIME.
>> IS HE KNOWN TO POLICE?
>> NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF AT THIS
TIME.
THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL
ONGOING.
>> THERE WERE NO OTHER WEAPONS
BESIDES THE PISTOL?
>> NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF AT THIS
TIME.
>> SIR, CAN YOU TELL US
APPROXIMATELY WHERE IN THE STORE
THE SUSPECT'S BODY WAS LOCATED?
>> I CANNOT.
NOT AT THIS TIME.
I DIDN'T GO IN THE STORE MYSELF.
LIKE I SAID --
>> STILL IN THE BREAK ROOM --
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT AT THIS
TIME.
>> WERE THERE ANY BODIES
OUTSIDE?
>> I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT RIGHT
NOW.
>> CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT THE
SHOOTER WAS A MALE, I GATHER
FROM WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?
>> YES.
>> CAN YOU TELL THE SHOOTER'S
AGE?
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT AT THIS
TIME.
>> MR. HALL?
>> DO YOU KNOW, WAS THE SHOOTER
DEAD BY THE TIME OFFICERS FOUND
THE SUSPECT?
>> AS FAR AS I KNOW, HE WAS,
YES.
>> TWO QUESTIONS HERE.
>> FIRST, I BELIEVE FIRST WE
SAID THERE WERE FIVE OR WE HEARD
THAT THERE WERE FIVE VICTIMS IN
THE HOSPITAL.
DO WE KNOW IF ONE OF THOSE
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN RELEASED SINCE
YOU SAID FOUR?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S FOUR THERE NOW.
>> AND THE OTHER THING THAT I
HAVE, WE HEARD THAT THE SUSPECT
MAY HAVE BEEN PLAYING SOME TYPE
OF LOUD MUSIC.
HAVE YOU HEARD THAT OR CAN YOU
CONFIRM THAT?
>>IA C I I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT A
TIME.
>> YOU SAID THE SCENE WAS
DECLARED SAFE.
WE HEARD REPORTS THAT IT WAS A
SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND.
IS THAT TRUE?
>> AT THIS TIME WE BELIEVE IT
WAS A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT
WOUND.
>> CAN YOU -- YOU GAVE US THE
TIMELINE OF POLICE RESPONSE.
DO YOU KNOW FOR HOW LONG THE
SHOOTER HIMSELF WAS ACTIVE IN
THE STORE?
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION
AT THIS TIME.
>> DO YOU KNOW THE RANGE OF THE
AGE OF THE VICTIMS AT THIS TIME?
>> I DON'T.
>> WHAT HAPPENS NEXT AT THIS
TIME?
>> WELL, THE INVESTIGATION IS
STILL ONGOING, LIKE I SAID, SO
WE HAVE TO PROCESS THE SCENE,
WHICH COULD TAKE DAYS.
>> DO WE KNOW APPROXIMATELY HOW
MANY CUSTOMERS WERE INSIDE THE
WALMART AT THE TIME?
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT
INFORMATION, NO.
>> BUT THE STORE WAS OPEN?
>> YES, IT WAS.
>> DOES IT CLOSE AT 11:00?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT.
>> CHIEF, A WITNESS SAID THAT
THE SUSPECT WAS --
>> I CANNOT CONFIRM THAT.
>> WAS THERE A SECURITY GUARD, A
WALMART SECURITY GUARD ON THE
PREMISES AT ALL?
>> NOT THAT I'LL AWARE OF.
YOU'D HAVE TO REACH OUT TO
WALMART FOR THAT.
>> CAN YOU TELL US WHAT CITY THE
SUSPECT IS FROM?
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT
INFORMATION.
I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU
MISINFORMATION.
I DON'T HAVE IT.
>> WAS THE SHOOTER WORKING AT
THE TIME OR WAS IT A DAY OFF AND
HE JUST SHOWED UP?
DO YOU KNOW IF HE WAS ON THE
CLOCK?
>> I CAN'T CONFIRM THAT.
YOU'D HAVE TO REACH OUT TO
WALMART AT THE TIME.
>> BUT HE WAS A CURRENT EMPLOYEE
OF THE WALMART?
>> AS FAR AS I KNOW HE WAS A
CURRENT EMPLOYEE.
>> AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO
ANSWER THIS AS WELL.
>> SURE.
>> DO YOU KNOW IF THE WALMART IS
GOING TO BE CLOSED?
I IMAGINE IT'S GOING TO BE
CLOSED FOR SOME TIME?
>> YES.
WHILE WE PROCESS THE SCENE, IT
WILL STAY CLOSED.
WE'RE IN COOPERATION WITH THE
FBI PROCESSING THE SCENE.
>> THE CONDITION OF THE VICTIMS,
ARE THEY CRITICAL --
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT
INFORMATION.
CONDITIONS ARE UNKNOWN.
>> DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE ALL AT
ONE HOSPITAL OR MULTIPLE
HOSPITALS.
>> AREA HOSPITALS IS WHAT I
HAVE.
>> IS THERE A REASON THE NEXT OF
KIN HASN'T BEEN NOTIFIED YET?
>> I DON'T KNOW WHY.
WHETHER THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHO HIS NEXT OF KIN ARE AND
WHERE THEY ARE.
>> YOU SAID THAT YOU DON'T
BELIEVE THE COMMUNITY IS IN
DANGER.
WHAT LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT?
WHY IS THERE NO FURTHER THREAT?
WAS HE ACTING ALONE?
>> AS FAR AS WE KNOW, YES, AND
HE IS DECEASED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
WE'LL CONCLUDE THAT AT THIS
POINT.
INFORMATION GOING FORWARD WILL
BE PUSHED OUT THROUGH OUR CITY'S
OFFICIAL TWITTER ACCOUNT WHICH
IS @ABOUTCHESAPEAKE.