CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Another employee has filed a lawsuit against Walmart related to the deadly mass shooting last month in Chesapeake.
Dec. 22 will mark one month since an employee opened fire at the Sam's Circle location, killing six people before turning the gun on himself. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 70. Several others were injured.
The new lawsuit is filed on behalf of Briana Tyler for $50 million in damages.
It states she was just beginning her shift in the breakroom, waiting for shift instructions from her team leader, Andre Bing, who police later identified as the gunman.
The lawsuit said Bing entered the room and began shooting, hitting Tyler's coworkers. The shots missed Tyler by "inches." After Bing left the room, Tyler exited running as fast as she could.
"Upon Bing exiting the breakroom, the plaintiff ran as fast as she could out of the breakroom, through the same door in which Bing was standing, and turned left, terrified and seeking to escape the deadly rampage being imposed upon the plaintiff and her colleagues," the lawsuit reads. "While running down the hallway, seeking to escape Bing, and eventually entering the retail store area of the Chesapeake Walmart, the plaintiff became aware that Bing was now chasing her and firing his gun at her."
The lawsuit said Tyler was aware of the bullets flying by her head, which is reportedly shown in video evidence.
Tyler eventually made it out of the store and met her mother who came to pick her up, the lawsuit said. When she got home, she said she found the bullets she heard had actually gone through her jacket, just "inches from her head."
Walmart issued the following statement to News 3 Wednesday night in response to the newest lawsuit:
“The entire Walmart family is heartbroken by the loss of the valued members of our team. Our deepest sympathies go out to our associates and everyone impacted, including those who were injured. We are focused on supporting all our associates with significant resources, including counseling. We are reviewing the Complaints and will be responding as appropriate with the court.”
Randy Hargrove
Walmart Corporate Communications
In a previous interview with the Associated Press, Tyler had said Bing appeared to fire at random on Nov. 22.
“He was just shooting all throughout the room. It didn’t matter who he hit,” she said.
Tyler, who started working at Walmart two months ago and had worked with Bing just a night earlier, said she never had a negative encounter with him, but others told her he was “the manager to look out for.” She said Bing had a history of writing people up for no reason, the Associated Press reported.
“It was all happening so fast,” she said to the AP, adding, “It is by the grace of God that a bullet missed me. I saw the smoke leaving the gun, and I literally watched bodies drop.”
At least two other lawsuits have been filed by other people regarding the shooting.
