Virginia Walmart mass shooting: Survivor files US$50 million lawsuit

A Walmart employee who survived last week’s mass shooting at a store in Virginia has filed a US$50 million (NZ$80m) lawsuit against the company for allegedly continuing to employ the shooter — a store supervisor — “who had known propensities for violence, threats and strange behaviour”.

The lawsuit, which appears to be the first to stem from the shooting, was filed on Tuesday (Wednesday morning NZ time) in Chesapeake Circuit Court by Donya Prioleau. Walmart, which is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, did not immediately respond to a written request seeking comment on the litigation.

Prioleau’s suit alleges that she has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, including physical and emotional distress, from witnessing the rampage in the store’s breakroom on November 22.

“Bullets whizzed by Plaintiff Donya Prioleau’s face and left side, barely missing her,” the lawsuit states. “She witnessed several of her coworkers being brutally murdered on either side of her.”

The lawsuit adds: “Ms Prioleau looked at one of her coworkers in the eyes right after she had been shot in the neck. Ms Prioleau saw the bullet wound in her coworker’s neck, the blood rushing out of it, and the shocked look on her coworker’s helpless face.”

Store supervisor Andre Bing, 31, fatally shot six employees and wounded several others before he died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, police said.

Community members, including Walmart employees, gather for a candlelight vigil at Chesapeake City Park in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Monday for the six people killed at a local Walmart, when a manager opened fire with a handgun before an employee meeting last week. Photo / AP

The lawsuit alleges that Bing “had a personal vendetta against several Walmart employees and kept a ‘kill list’ of potential targets prior to the shooting”.

The lawsuit also states that Prioleau had submitted a formal complaint on a Walmart Global Ethics Statement Form indicating that Bing had “bizarrely and inappropriately commented on Ms Prioleau’s age”.

The lawsuit alleges that Bing told her: “Isn’t your lady clock ticking? Shouldn’t you be having kids?”

Prioleau also complained that Bing had harassed her for “being poor and being short,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that she also informed Walmart that Bing called her a “bitch” under his breath.

“Despite Mr Bing’s long-standing pattern of disturbing and threatening behaviour, Walmart knew or should have known about Mr Bing’s disturbing and threatening behaviour, but failed to terminate Mr Bing, restrict his access to common areas, conduct a thorough background investigation, or subject him to a mental health examination,” the lawsuit states. - AP