Business

Families of Walmart mass shooting victims get $15K on anniversary of horror

The families of the six Walmart workers gunned down by a store manager last year received a check for $2,500 from a non-profit group on Wednesday — the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting in Chesapeake, Va.

Andre Bing opened fire in the break room of the Walmart as the workers gathered for a pre-shift meeting on Nov. 22, 2022, before turning the gun on himself.

The victims included 38-year-old Brian Pendleton of Chesapeake; 52-year-old Kellie Pyle of Chesapeake; 43-year-old Lorenzo Gamble of Chesapeake; 70-year-old Randy Belvins of Chesapeake, and 22-year-old Tyneka Johnson of Portsmouth.

The sixth and youngest victim was 16-year-old Fernando Chavez-Barron.

Virginia-based healthcare company Sentara Health cut a check for $15,000 at the remembrance event, according to local outlet 13 News Now.

The $2,500 gift was more cash than the families received from the multibillion dollar discount chain.

On the one-year anniversary of the Chesapeake, Va., Walmart shooting on Wednesday, the six victims’ families collectively received $15,000 from nonprofit healthcare company Sentara Health. WVEC
The Chesapeake Walmart shooting victims: (clockwise from top left) Tyneka Johnson, 20, Brian Pendleton, 38, Randy Belvins, 70, Fernando Chavez-Barron, 16, Lorenzo Gamble, 43, and Kelly Pyle, 52. AP; REUTERS

There were no Walmart executives in attendance at the event, according to 13 News.

“We supported these families with funeral, travel, and other expenses,” a Walmart spokesperson told The Post on Wednesday.

“Additionally, all Walmart associates and their families have access to confidential grief and wellness support resources at no cost – including phone, chat-based or video support.”

Reps for Sentara Health did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

During the luncheon, event organizer Mary Bibbs called for more measures to be put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“How are we all coming together and addressing violence, mental health, opioid abuse? How are we moving the needle forward in the right direction?” Bibbs asked.

“We know that last year’s incident, that mass shooting, can happen anywhere at any time,” she said during the event, which was titled “Our Path Forward.”

Law enforcement never identified a clear motive, nor did they confirm if Bing suffered from mental health issues.

Police did, however, find a list when they searched Bing’s body containing the names of colleagues he wished to target.

The shooter, 31-year-old Andre Bing, turned the gun on himself after opening fire in the break room of the Walmart in Sams Circle as workers gathered for a pre-shift meeting on Nov. 22, 2022. REUTERS
Police found three of the victims dead when they arrived at the scene, while the other three succumbed to their injuries at a local hospital. SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The Sams Circle Walmart outpost will close early on Wednesday, at 5 p.m. instead of 11 p.m., in remembrance of the shooting. AP

At least 50 people were in the store at the time of the incident, many of whom were picking up last-minute Thanksgiving groceries.

Walmart’s Sam Circle location has since memorialized the six victims with an outdoor space to “honor the victims and provide a place of comfort,” the company said, with greenery and six seating structures, each with a plaque donning the name of the workers who were killed, according to 13 News.