Survivor of Virginia mass shooting files $50M lawsuit against Walmart
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A memorial outside the Walmart in Chesapeake, Va., on Nov. 28. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
An employee who survived a shooting last week that left six dead and four people injured at a Walmart store in Chesapeake, Virginia, filed a $50 million lawsuit against the company on Tuesday.
The big picture: The plaintiff, Donya Prioleau, alleges that the company continued to employ the suspected gunman even though he "had known propensities for violence, threats and strange behavior" toward other employees.
- The lawsuit alleges Prioleau filed a complaint against the suspect, Andre Bing, 31, around two months before the shooting for making cruel and inappropriate remarks about her.
- It alleges other complaints were made against Bing and he was disciplined "on several occasions" but still remained employed.
What they're saying: The lawsuit, which appears to be the first stemming from the shooting, says Prioleau has experienced post-traumatic distress disorder, including physical and emotional distress, from surviving and witnessing the shooting.
- "Bullets whizzed by Plaintiff Donya Prioleau’s face and left side, barely missing her,” the lawsuit reads. "She witnessed several of her coworkers being brutally murdered on either side of her."
- "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."
- It also alleges that Bing "demonstrated a pattern of disturbing behavior leading up to the shooting, which Walmart knew, or should have known."
The big picture: Police previously identified Bing as an overnight team leader who had worked at Walmart since 2010 and had died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
- City officials said he had no criminal history and purchased a pistol on the morning of the mass shooting and left a note on his phone that outlined his plan to target some of his colleagues.
- The city released the victims' names Wednesday evening.
Go deeper: What we know about the victims of the Virginia Walmart shooting
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details throughout.
