Authorities on Wednesday identified five of the six people who died Tuesday night after a shooting at a Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia, by a supervisor who opened fire on his co-workers with a gun.
The victims were identified as
Lorenzo Gamble, Brian Pendleton, Kellie Pyle, Randall Blevins and Tyneka Johnson
, according to a Chesapeake City news release.
The name of the sixth victim was not released, the city said, because he is a 16-year-old minor.
The killer, identified as Andre Bing, 31, was head of the night crew, and had worked at the company since 2010, Walmart reported.
He opened fire with a pistol and took his own life after the massacre, the motives for which have not been revealed.
A Walmart spokesperson told NBC News, the sister network of Noticias Telemundo, that all the victims in the shooting were company employees.
At least six other injured people are receiving treatment in hospitals.
Two patients sent to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital were
in critical condition
, said Michael Hooper, the hospital's medical director.
This is what we know about those who lost their lives in the massacre:
Tyneka Johnson, 22 years old
A relative who spoke with the local network 7News DC, from Washington, described Johnson as "the nicest person, who never bothered anyone," according to The New York Post.
Tyneka Johnson, 22. Chesapeake Police
A cousin of hers also posted a message on her Facebook profile: "Damn cousin, I'm sorry this happened to you so quickly,
you had so many plans, but I guess God had others."
“Does this mean I won't get any more calls from you?
Won't you send me more pictures of your tattoos for me to pick out?" she wrote.
Brian Pendleton, 38 years old
Pendleton worked as a maintenance janitor at Walmart.
Shaundrayia Reese, a co-worker, told The New York Times that he was a kind man.
Brian Pendleton, 38 years old. Chesapeake police officer
"He never raised his voice, he never had any evil in his body," Reese said.
"Nobody could ever say anything bad about that man. He was one of the sweetest people I've ever met. He didn't deserve to die like this."
"If you had a problem, you could go to Brian. He would go and help you with anything," said Josh Johnson, who also knew him.
Lawrence Gamble, 43 years old
Gamble's family did not want to speak to the press, but his son expressed his pain through the social network Facebook.
"Long live my dad," his son wrote, according to the aforementioned media.
"Friends and family, please don't call me. I don't even want to talk about it," he added.
Lorenzo Gamble, 43 years old. Chesapeake police officer
Randy Blevins, 70 years old
Blevins was part of the Walmart staff who put price tags on products, according to news reports.
Shaundrayia Reese, his co-worker, says he was affectionately called "Mr. Randy."
Randy Blevins, 70 years old. Chesapeake police officer
Kellie Pyle, 52 years old
Pyle was a "charming, generous and kind person," said Gwendolyn Bowe Baker Spencer, who explained that her son and Pyle had plans to marry next year, according to The Associated Press news agency.
"We loved her. She was a generous and extraordinary person," he added.
Kellie Pyle, 52. Chesapeake Police
Police arrived at the Walmart Supercenter at 10:12 p.m., following first reports of the shooting, to find the killer already dead, Chesapeake Police Chief Mark G. Solesky said, adding that he was a Walmart worker. , that he used a gun, and that his home was being searched by investigators.
Employee Briana Tyler told local television 13News Now that the overnight storage team, made up of about 15 or 20 people, had just met in the break room to go over the plan for the morning when their team leader said:
"Alright guys, a light night awaits us."
He then turned around and opened fire on the personnel assembled there.
The shooting comes three days after a gunman opened fire at a gay club in Colorado, killing five people and wounding 17 in what is considered a hate crime.
It also brought back the memory of another at a Walmart in 2019, when a gunman targeting Mexicans opened fire at a store in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people.