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1 dead and 2 injured in New York grocery store shooting

Stop & Shop, a grocery chain in the US’s north east, says its West Hampstead location will remain closed until further notice

Justin Vallejo
New York
Tuesday 20 April 2021 15:59 EDT
Comments
Police are looking for Gabriel DeWitt Wilson
Police are looking for Gabriel DeWitt Wilson (Nassau County Police Department)

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One person was killed and two wounded in a shooting at a New York grocery store on Tuesday. Police have apprehended a suspect in the shooting, identified as 30-year-old Gabriel DeWitt Wilson.

Nassau County Police Department confirmed that the three people were shot inside the West Hempstead Stop & Shop on Long Island.

Police say they received a call about 11:15 am of shots fire in West Hempstead, which is about 30 miles (50 kilometres) east of New York City.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told reporters there were “a couple hundred” people inside the store when the shooting occurred.

The person killed was a 49-year-old employee shot inside a manager’s office upstairs from the shopping floor, according to the Associated Press.

Mr Ryder said their person of interest had been an employee of the store, but it was unclear if he was still employed at the time of the shooting.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a tweet that schools were notified to go into lockdown, while police were asking residents to remain indoors.

New York senator Chuck Schumer said on Twitter that he was closely monitoring the shooting, and was praying for the families of the victims.

“This Senate must and will move forward on legislation to help stop the epidemic of gun violence,” he said.

Stop & Shop president Gordon Reid said its West Hempstead location would remain closed until further notice, and that the company is “shocked and heartbroken by this act of violence”.

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our associates, customers and the first responders who have responded heroically to this tragic situation,” Mr Reid said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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