A memorial is seen in the parking lot of a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia on Sunday, November 27. Six people were killed when a store manager opened fire with a gun on Nov. 22, police said.
AP
A Walmart employee says the company knew her manager was “violent” before he opened fire in the store’s break room, killing several co-workers in Chesapeake, Va., on Nov. 22, according to a new lawsuit.
Morgan & Morgan, the law firm representing Prioleau, announced in a Nov. 29 filing that Doña Prioleau, a survivor of the mass shooting that left six Walmart employees dead, is suing the company and seeking $50 million in damages. .
The lawsuit alleges that the tragedy was “predictable” because Andre Bing, a supervisor responsible for overseeing the store’s nightstocking crew, exhibited dangerous behavior before the shooting and even kept a “kill list” of potential targets, the complaint states.
Priola blames Walmart, accusing the company of failing to protect workers by not firing Bing, restricting his access to “common areas” or conducting an investigation, despite receiving a number of complaints about his behavior, including the official complaint she herself filed against him. in September.
In a statement, Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove told McClatchy News that “the entire Walmart family is heartbroken by the loss of our valued team members.”
“Our deepest sympathies go out to our associates and all those affected, including the victims,” Hargrove said.
He added that the company is considering Priyolov’s complaint “and will respond accordingly through the court.”
Bing also died the night of the shooting from “apparent self-inflicted firearm“, the police said, according to the Associated Press.
Lawsuit
According to the complaint, since the mass shooting, Priolev has experienced flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, sleepless nights and more. She was working when Bing brought a semi-automatic weapon into the break room and started shooting, the lawsuit says.
“Bullets whizzed past (her) face and left side, narrowly missing,” the complaint said. “She witnessed the brutal killing of several of her colleagues on both sides.”
Priol’s lawsuit says Walmart knew Bing, who had worked at Walmart since 2010, was “violent and capable of harming others” and had a reputation as a tough manager at the Chesapeake location.
Before the shooting, Bing asked Prioleau, who was part of the store’s night shift, if she liked guns and if he could “borrow her hair,” the complaint said.
He previously warned co-workers, including supervisors, that he would “take revenge” if he ever lost his job and that he would be remembered, the complaint said.
The lawsuit describes Bing as a vengeful man and says he had a “personal vendetta” against several store employees who were included on his hit list.
After the shooting unfolded, law enforcement found a manifest on his phone that named co-workers he believed to be targets, the complaint said.
About two months before the Sept. 10 assault, Priola filed a formal complaint against Bing regarding inappropriate and derogatory comments he made about her, the lawsuit states.
That same day, Priola’s mother showed up at Walmart to speak with another store manager because she was worried about her daughter’s safety, the complaint said.
“It appeared that their concerns were not heard,” the complaint states. “In response to these concerns, (the store manager) informed Ms. Priolau that nothing could be done about Mr. Bing because management liked him.”
Workers who died in the shooting include Randy Blevins, Fernando “Jesus” Chavez-Barron, Lorenzo Gamble, Tyneka Johnson, Brian Pendleton and Kelly Pyle, according to a memo released by Walmart on Nov. 29. They have been described as “indispensable”.
Four other Walmart employees were injured the evening of Nov. 22 but survived, according to Walmart.
The memo details the actions the company is taking after the shooting.
“While we grieve, we are supporting these families with funeral, travel and other expenses,” the note said. “And we have a physical site where employees can meet and connect and talk to advisors.”
In a statement, Hargrove said “we are focused on supporting all of our partners with significant resources, including consulting.”
