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1 Dead, 2 Hurt in NY Stop & Shop Shooting; Suspect in Custody After 4-Hour Manhunt

A man wearing all black walked into an upstairs office area of a Long Island Stop & Shop late Tuesday morning and shot three people, killing one of them, in the town of West Hempstead before fleeing the scene, Nassau County police officials say.

Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, a 30-year-old man who police say they “believe” to be responsible for the 11:20 a.m. gunfire at the Cherry Valley Avenue store, was taken into custody around 3 p.m. after a four-hour manhunt, police confirmed.

Details on his apprehension weren’t immediately known.

Police say witnesses reported seeing Wilson flee the area with a small handgun after the gun attack. Earlier, a senior law enforcement official said he may have hopped on a bus to escape. He was last seen heading west.

Wilson has employment ties to Stop & Shop but it’s not clear if he currently was working at the West Hempstead location, investigators said. Both a Stop & Shop worker and a New York uncle of Wilson told News 4 the suspect worked in front of the store and moved shopping carts.

Police officials wouldn’t speculate on a potential motive when asked about the workplace connection Tuesday.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the victims were targeted specifically but all appeared to be employees with Stop & Shop, investigators said. The victim who died was a man around 49 years old. Two other victims were taken to area hospitals; they were said to be conscious and alert and assisting law enforcement. Their identities haven’t been released and the nature of their injuries wasn’t known.

The West Hempstead School District confirmed that its schools were in a “lock out” and urged the public not to come to its buildings. A spokeswoman for Nassau County said police were asking all nearby residents to remain indoors.

In a statement, Stop & Shop said it was “shocked and heartbroken by this act of violence that occurred at our store.”

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our associates, customers and the first responders who have responded heroically to this tragic situation,” the statement continued. “At this time, we are cooperating fully with local law enforcement on the investigation. The store will remain closed until further notice, and we appreciate the Long Island community’s support during this difficult time.”

Video from the scene showed at least a dozen ambulances and police vehicles gathered outside the Cherry Valley Avenue store. A few hundred shoppers were said to have been in the supermarket at the time of the shooting. Nassau police stopped to question as many as they could and identify strong potential witnesses.

A woman who had just pulled into the parking lot to do her shopping says she was walking in the door when people running out told her there had been a shooting.

“Everybody seemed to start running out of the store, panicked and frantic,” Liz Crew-Lee told News 4 of the commotion moments after the gunfire.

Law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation tell News 4 Wilson used to live in Reisterstown, Maryland, which is in Baltimore County.

He was previously arrested there for assault in 2006 and had a number of marijuana possession busts, the sources say. Details on the cases and any possible convictions weren’t immediately clear. Sources say Wilson lived in Maryland through at least 2010.

The uncle of Wilson News 4 spoke with described his nephew as a good kid who could be a “hothead.” He said he just hoped he would be taken into custody alive.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York state was closely monitoring the developments.

“The New York State Police has been directed to assist local authorities in their search for the perpetrator, and my team and I are in constant contact with first responders on the ground,” the governor said. “I’m praying for the victims, and my heart breaks for their families and loved ones.”

John R. Durso, president of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW, which represents many workers at the West Hempstead Stop & Shop, said the union was “devastated” by Tuesday’s shooting.

“Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those, including workers and customers, who witnessed today’s horrifying events. Our priority is and always will be the physical and mental well-being of our members,” Durso said in a statement. “Representatives of our union are onsite at Stop & Shop and will be ensuring that our members have all of the support they need, including access to counseling. We encourage our members to reach out to us for anything they may need during this difficult time.”

“The working people at Stop & Shop are essential workers and ensured that all of our communities, including West Hempstead, had what they needed to navigate the pandemic,” Durso added. “The last year has been one full of resiliency, but also one of great worry. These workers have been through a tremendous amount and should never have to fear for their safety. We as a society must recognize that gun violence is a workplace safety issue and that as part of this healing, we must make changes to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. We owe it to our essential workers.”

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