A deadly shooting inside a Stop & Shop in West Hempstead takes the lives of one and seriously injures two others.
According to Nassau County Authorities and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder the incident happened April 20 early Tuesday Morning at 11:19 a.m. when a man who was wearing all black apparel went upstairs into the Stop & Shop management offices on the second floor and opened fire with a small handgun. He shot three people who were all Stop & Shop employees, killing one of them who was a 49-year-old male store manager.
Police have identified and arrested Gabriel Dewitt Wilson, a 30-year-old Stop & Shop employee at the very same supermarket as a cart collector. After the shooting, Wilson fled the scene and appeared to be “heading west on the turnpike” according to Ryder and was deemed “at large and dangerous.” Police were able to apprehend the suspect four hours later at 100 Terrace avenue which is two miles away from the location of the store. At the time of his search, nearby school districts like West Hempstead and Franklin Square were put on strict lockdown.
Ryder held a brief press conference before Wilson was taken into custody and stated that two victims who were shot were conscious, alert and speaking to authorities as they were being hospitalized. One is a female and one is a male.
“The investigation is ongoing,” said Ryder. “We don’t know the reason for the shooting. There were about a few hundred shoppers in the store. He left the scene and was still carrying the handgun. He did at least work there one time. We are still not sure if he is still employed by them at this time.”
