Jessie Wilczewski had only been on the job for five days, when she witnessed a fellow employee begin to open fire inside the store.
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Editor’s note: Readers may find some details outlined in this story disturbing.
On Thanksgiving 2022, families of the Chesapeake Walmart shooting victims missed a loved one at the dinner table.
13News Now learned some of the families in mourning decided against a holiday gathering.
Those who were killed following Tuesday night’s tragedy range in age from 16 to 70 years old. Their names: Tyneka Johnson, Brian Pendleton, Randy Blevins, Kellie Pyle and Lorenzo Gamble.
Authorities and family have not released the name and picture of the teenager killed, because he is underage.
Among those also grappling with the tragedy is a Walmart employee who survived the shooting, and told ABC News that she had the gun pointed at her head.
Just five days on the job, Jessie Wilczewski recounted what she described as an “awful” thing.
“He came in through the door, started shooting and he went across like that,” she said, motioning her arm from one side to another. Wilczewski is referring to the man who Walmart corporate officials said most recently worked as an overnight team lead.
Wilczewski recalled hiding under a table, not even registering what happened at first. But now, the images are clear, graphic, and painful to hear.
“I had to sit on the floor and in front of me watch my coworker have her last moments,” Wilczewski said tearfully. “The sound of all the blood dripping off the chairs. That replays, that replays. It doesn’t stop.”
In those moments, she thought about her coworkers and her baby son. She said the gunman left the break room and then came back.
“He had the gun pointed at me. And he went like this, put the gun up, looked at me and said, ‘Jessie, go home.”
Wilczewski will never understand why she was spared.
“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know why he told me – I don’t know,” she said.
Thankful to make it out alive, but struggling with survivor’s guilt, Wilczewski hopes speaking out, in some way, can bring the families closer to peace.
“I just wanted them to know that I didn’t let their loved ones who they miss today have their last moments by themselves,” said Wilczewski.
She also said she has trouble leaving home and driving up to the Walmart. She detailed a long journey ahead in mentally rebounding after what happened.