Walmart shooting survivor who filed $50m lawsuit says she reported gunman’s ‘disturbing behaviour’
A Walmart employee who survived a mass shooting that killed six co-workers at a store in Virginia has filed a $50m lawsuit against the company.
Donya Prioleau alleged that the retail giant had continued to employ a supervisor “who had known propensities for violence, threats and strange behaviour”, according to the Associated Press.
Ms Prioleau said she had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after bullets “whizzed” past her face during the 22 November rampage, in the lawsuit filed in the Chesapeake Circuit Court on Tuesday.
“She witnessed several of her coworkers being brutally murdered on either side of her,” the lawsuit states.
Ms Prioleau looked directly into the eyes of a fellow employee who had just been shot in the neck, the lawsuit states.
“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.”
Police say Andre Bing, 31, shot dead six employees at the Chesapeake store and wounded several others before dying of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Fellow staff members later described the store supervisor as a detached loner who made “disturbing” comments towards them.
A Walmart spokeswoman told The Independent in a statement they were reviewing the complaint.
“The entire Walmart family is heartbroken by the loss of the valued members of our team,” the spokeswoman said.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to our associates and everyone impacted, including those who were injured.”
The victims were identified as Tyneka Johnson, Lorenzo Gamble, Brian Pendleton, Kellie Pyle, Randall Blevins and Fernando Chavez-Barron.
Bing left a note on his phone claiming he had been harassed and pushed over the edge after his phone was hacked.
According to the Associated Press, the lawsuit states that Ms Prioleau had a “personal vendetta” against several employees including her.
Ms Prioleau states that she had complained to the company’s internal ethics form after Bing “bizarrely and inappropriately” commented on her age.
Bing allegedly said to her: “Isn’t your lady clock ticking? Shouldn’t you be having kids?”
He also made disparaging remarks about her being “poor and short”, and called her a b**ch under his breath.
“Despite Mr Bing’s long-standing pattern of disturbing and threatening behaviour, Walmart knew or should have known about Mr Bing’s disturbing and threatening behaviour, but failed to terminate Mr Bing, restrict his access to common areas, conduct a thorough background investigation, or subject him to a mental health examination,” the lawsuit alleges.
