Residents of a Long Island town were on high alert on Tuesday afternoon as authorities searched frantically for a man believed to have shot and killed a person at the local Stop & Shop.
A man wearing all black walked into an upstairs office area of the Stop & Shop in West Hempstead late morning and shot three people, killing one of them before fleeing the scene, Nassau County police officials said.
Authorities are actively looking for 30-year-old Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, a man they describe as being a person of interest in the shooting but stopped short of calling him a suspect. They say he fled the area after the shooting and remains at large.
He is believed to have had a small handgun. Earlier, a senior law enforcement official said he may have hopped on a bus to escape. Wilson was last seen heading west.
“Do not approach if you see him; please call 911 immediately,” Nassau County police warned.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the victims were targeted in some way, or if they knew the attacker. The deceased was a 49-year-old man. Two other victims were taken to local hospitals. As of Tuesday lunchtime, the victims of the attack had not yet been named.
There were around “a couple hundred” people inside the store, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told reporters, according to local station PIX 11.
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.”