Nearly 5 months after mass shooting, Walmart reopens Chesapeake store

Walmart on Wednesday reopened its Supercenter in Chesapeake, Virginia, nearly five months after an overnight manager killed six co-workers and wounded six others there.

The store underwent a “complete transformation” and is now a part of Walmart’s “Store of the Future” design, the retail giant said.

The Chesapeake location includes a permanent outdoor memorial with six seating areas, symbolizing the six employees who lost their lives that day.

“The space is intended as a place for people to reflect and honor the victims and provide a place of comfort for the survivors,” Walmart said.

The re-imagined store has a new layout that includes colorful product displays, more shopping space, expanded brand-name designer products and interactive features. It also features expanded checkout areas, a clinical services room with vaccination area, a new mothers’ room and family bathroom, and an expanded beer and wine selection.

Digital screens throughout the store offer pricing and product information, Walmart said.

A new mural by local artist Charlie Francis, features the Jordan River Bridge and a blue heron.

A mural at the newly reopened Walmart Supercenter in Chesapeake, Virginia. / Photo courtesy: Walmart

“In the backdrop of such a challenging four months, the outpouring of support from the community has been remarkable and continues to bring us closer together as we welcome our customers back,” Store Manager Alycia Mixon said in a statement. “Our associates have done a tremendous job preparing the store for our customers, and I am grate for their hard work, resilience and optimism as we finally open this store for the community.”

Following the shooting, Walmart donated $1 million to the United Way of South Hampton Roads “Hope and Healing Fund” to aid those impacted by the shooting and the wider Chesapeake community.

Walmart also donated $10,000 to local nonprofit organizations.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer announced the planned reopening of the store at 1521 Sam’s Circle earlier this month.

The store has been closed since the night of Nov. 22, when a 10-year veteran of the store fired a 9mm handgun inside the breakroom and into the store’s aisles. The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Employees killed in the shooting were Randy Blevins, an overnight stock associate; Fernando “Jesus” Chavez-Barron, an 11th-grade honors student; Lorenzo Gamble, a custodian; Tyneka Johnson, an overnight associate; Brian Pendleton, a custodian; and Kellie Pyle, an overnight associate.

Violent crime in grocery retail settings has been a growing problem for years, industry experts have noted.

There have been at least 536 incidents of gun violence in or around grocery stores between January 1, 2020 and the day of the Walmart shooting, according to advocacy group Guns Down America.