Walmart says it is working closely with investigators to try to determine why a shooter opened fire at one of its stores in Ohio and wounded four people before killing himself late on Monday.
The attack came during a year that – as of early Tuesday – had so far seen the US report about 610 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The non-partisan archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more victims are killed or wounded. And the rate of mass shootings in the US – nearly two a day – has ignited calls for more substantial gun control among some quarters.
Monday’s shooting in Ohio was reported at about 8.30pm at the Walmart in Beavercreek, a town of about 50,000 in the Dayton metropolitan area. All of the wounded victims were taken to hospitals for treatment, but information on their conditions was not immediately released.
Police said the shooter died after apparently shooting himself. His name, a motive for the attack and other details also were not immediately released.
Authorities earlier said on social media that the store had been cleared and secured and there was no “active threat”.
“We’re heartbroken by what’s happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio store. This remains a developing situation, and we’re working closely with investigators on the scene,” Walmart said in a statement.
The shooting happened a day after two people were shot and killed outside a Walmart in south Anchorage, Alaska. Police are still searching for a suspect in that case. The store was evacuated before closing for the day, and officers helped people reach their vehicles.
It was one of at least two high-profile instances of mass violence on Monday. Another case saw a man near Westcliffe, Colorado, fatally shoot three people and wound a fourth during what officials had described as an argument over property lines.
Residents of the wooded, rural area were told to shelter in place as police searched for the gunman. But the order was lifted late on Monday as the gunman remained at large.
Two men and a woman were slain in the Colorado shooting. The fourth victim was taken to a hospital for treatment and was expected to survive.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
