CHESAPEAKE, Va. — One year has passed since tragedy struck at the Walmart Supercenter on Sam's Circle in Chesapeake.
Six store employees lost their lives in the massacre that unfolded around the time of evening shift change merely days before Thanksgiving in 2022.
Tyneka Johnson, Brian Pendleton, Randy Blevins, Kellie Pyle, Lorenzo Gamble and Fernando Chavez-Barron were killed in the shooting. They ranged in age from 16 to 70 years old.
Chesapeake officer remembers his response to Walmart mass shooting
On the way to another call, Chesapeake police officer Albert White recalled hearing about shots fired at the Walmart over his radio. So, he redirected to the supercenter. In an interview recently, he described being the first police officer at the scene.
"I had a female run out to me immediately. I can see she had been shot," White told 13News Now.
Not hearing any gunshots at the time, he focused his attention on the woman's injuries.
"I immediately just grabbed her, took her to the back of my car, sat her down. I grabbed my medic kit out of my trunk," he said.
His partners arrived and another person came out of the store with a gunshot wound. Although White was only roughly four months off of field training, he acted quickly while keeping his cool.
"Our training that we get prepares us for high-intensity scenarios," he said.
Since November 2022, White has been recognized internally within the Chesapeake Police Department for his efforts and heroism that day.
Furthermore, during a special legislative session in Richmond on September 2023, Del. Cliff Hayes presented White with a resolution to commend his response. He was honored in the state House chamber.
Former Walmart employee speaks about witnessing gunfire
On that same night in November 2022, former employee Myles Whitaker recounted getting his assignment for the overnight shift. Whitaker said a manager walked into the break room and began firing a gun sometime after 10 p.m.
"The first two shots didn't register to me," Whitaker told 13News Now.
Suddenly, survival mode kicked in.
"I went under one of the tables, I grabbed a chair and shielded myself while he was still shooting in the room," he said.
Whitaker remembered seeing bullets flying everywhere; he managed to find a way out.
"Not knowing if he was coming behind us or not, and I just ran, ran, ran, ran, ran," he recalled.
The gunman injured several people and killed Johnson, Pendleton, Blevins, Pyle, Gamble and Chavez-Barron before fatally shooting himself.
Speaking about the lives lost, Whitaker said, "They were very sweet. They didn't bother anybody. I just want people to remember who they were before it happened."
Over the last year, Whitaker said his faith has grown stronger.
Before now, he has never publicly opened up about his experience escaping the gunman to this extent, but he said he felt it was important for everyone to take in this message: "My dad always told me to never take life for granted. The next second isn't promised, the next minute isn't promised."
How the Chesapeake community has moved forward since the mass shooting
The renovated store, including a new outdoor memorial space, re-opened to a large crowd on April 19.
White said the unity that emerged out of the tragedy will stick with him.
"I would say it made us come together as a city because it's not just police who responded," the officer said.
A slew of people in the community, neighbors, nonprofit leaders, lawmakers and more showed an outpouring of support on the heels of the tragedy.
HAPPENING THIS WEEK: Chesapeake Walmart will close early on anniversary of mass shooting
Speaking on behalf of Walmart, Regional General Manager Eddie Bostic, issued a video statement regarding the one-year remembrance of the shooting. He described what happened as "a very sad day for our community."
Bostic acknowledged the victims and recited the names of the six associates lost.
"There isn't a day that goes by that we don't think of and remember these six individuals and what they meant to their families, to us, and to our community. This is a tough week for our associates as well, and we are doing everything we can to support them from no-cost access to confidential grief and wellness support and counselors, to bringing in extra support at the store to cover for those associates who are taking the day off to reflect, remember, and be with their families."
Since November of 2022, Walmart has faced pushback.
At least two former employees have actively pending lawsuits. A Chesapeake judge recently ruled to allow one of the suits to move forward in the courts.
Plaintiffs said they lodged complaints to higher-ups against the gunman before the shooting, citing things like concerning behavior and inappropriate comments.
Attorneys for Blevins' estate voluntarily withdrew their wrongful death suit earlier this year. At the time of withdrawal, they told 13News Now they planned to refile in the future.
On the anniversary of the shooting, the City of Chesapeake issued a statement on social media, remembering the lives lost, the loved ones affected, the first responders who ran towards danger and the many others who have shown support.