2022 Chesapeake Walmart Shooting

On the night of November 22, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at a Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia. Andre Marcus Bing, a night-shift supervisor who had worked at the store for twelve years, shot and killed six co-workers and injured four others before fatally shooting himself.

According to accounts pieced together after the attack, Bing purchased a 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the morning of the shooting and practiced with shooting targets that were later found in his truck. Police responded to reports of a shooting inside the store at 10:12 p.m. Bing first shot a specific co-worker, then entered the breakroom where a routine meeting about overnight responsibilities was underway. He interrupted the meeting and shot several people without speaking, then walked the store aisles firing at least ten more shots. He was reportedly carrying a written list of employees he intended to target, and a similar list was later found at his home. Investigators said Bing continued shooting some victims' bodies after they were down to ensure they were dead, while telling at least one recently hired co-worker to run home, sparing her.

The six Walmart employees killed were identified as Randy Blevins, 70; Fernando Chavez-Barron, 16; Tyneka Johnson, 22; Lorenzo Gamble, 43; Brian Pendleton, 38; and Kellie Pyle, 52. It took first responders 35–40 minutes to search the building, during which multiple victims were discovered, including one near the entrance. Bing was found dead among the victims from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The scene was declared safe roughly an hour after the first reports, at 11:20 p.m.

Bing, born May 1, 1991, had no criminal record. He had lived in Chesapeake as well as Suffolk, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, and previously in Queens, New York, and San Angelo, Texas. In a brief note, Bing wrote that he felt "led by Satan" in planning the attack and described struggles with women and a sense he did not deserve a wife, alongside references to "social deficitis" and loneliness. His stated motive has been characterized as revenge for perceived bullying by co-workers, compounded by failed romantic pursuits. Co-workers described him as difficult and at times hostile, and one employee alleged he had discussed plans to kill other managers.

A joint investigation was conducted by the Chesapeake Police Department, Virginia State Police, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, including a search of Bing's home. Public officials, including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Chesapeake Mayor Rick West, U.S. Senator Mark Warner, state senator Louise Lucas, and President Joe Biden, issued statements of condolence, with Biden also renewing calls for gun-law changes.

Survivors filed two $50 million lawsuits against Walmart alleging the company had neglected safety concerns despite prior complaints about Bing's behavior; one of the suits was dismissed on February 7, 2024. The store closed after the shooting and reopened on April 19, 2023, with design changes and a memorial space for victims, which is no longer in place. <parameter name="timeline">[{"date": "2022-11-22", "event": "Andre Bing purchases a 9mm pistol and practices with shooting targets."}, {"date": "2022-11-22", "event": "At approximately 10:12 p.m., police respond to reports of a shooting at the Chesapeake Walmart."}, {"date": "2022-11-22", "event": "Bing shoots six co-workers to death and injures four others before fatally shooting himself; scene declared safe around 11:20 p.m."}, {"date": "2023-04-19", "event": "The Walmart store reopens with design changes and a memorial space for victims."}, {"date": "2024-02-07", "event": "One of two $50 million survivor lawsuits against Walmart is dismissed."}]