Man convicted of murder in fatal shooting at Long Island Stop & Shop supermarket

NEW YORK — The man who fatally shot three office workers at a Long Island supermarket in 2021, killing a manager, was convicted of the fatal crime on Wednesday.

Gabriel DeWitt Wilson has been found guilty of seven of the nine charges he faces, including one count of second degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting that took place on April 20, 2021 at a West Hempstead Stop & Shop.

That morning Wilson, who was 31 at the time, walked into the supermarket dressed entirely in black and headed for an upstairs office.

After the deadly events unfolded, Wilson fled the scene and fled before being arrested around 3pm – after a four-hour manhunt.

At the time of his arrest, many details were not known to the public, other than the fact that he was found hiding in an apartment.

Police said at the time that witnesses reported seeing Wilson flee the area with a small handgun after the gun attack. A senior law enforcement official also said he may have gotten on a bus to New York to escape and was seen heading west.

Wilson had employment ties with the Stop & Shop, but it was unclear whether he was a current or former employee of the West Hempstead site, investigators said after the shooting. A Stop & Shop employee and Wilson’s uncle in New York previously told News 4 that the suspect worked outside the store and moved shopping carts.

Officers did not at the time speculate on a potential motive when asked about the connection to the workplace on Tuesday. Law enforcement sources said it appeared to be a work-related dispute.

Additionally, it was not immediately clear at the start of the investigation whether the victims were specifically targeted, but they all appeared to be Stop & Shop employees, investigators said. The deceased victim was a 49-year-old man, Nassau County Police said. Two other victims, a man and a woman, were taken to area hospitals for their injuries.

The shooting prompted the West Hempstead School District to declare a “lockdown” and urged the public not to come to its buildings. A Nassau County spokeswoman said police are asking all nearby residents to stay home while police search for Wilson.

In a statement at the time, Stop & Shop said it was “shocked and heartbroken by this act of violence that occurred in our store”.

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, our associates, customers and first responders who heroically responded to this tragic situation,” the statement continued. “At this time, we are fully cooperating with local law enforcement in the investigation. The store will be closed until further notice, and we appreciate the support of the Long Island community during this difficult time. “

Video from the scene showed at least a dozen ambulances and police vehicles gathered outside the Cherry Valley Avenue store. A few hundred customers were in the supermarket at the time of the shooting. Nassau police stopped to interview as many people as possible and identify potential witnesses.

A woman who had just pulled into the parking lot to do her shopping says she was walking through the door when people running in told her there had been a shooting.

“Everyone seemed to be running out of the store, terrified and frantic,” Liz Crew-Lee told News 4 of the commotion following the shooting.

Barbara Butterman, one of hundreds of shoppers inside the store at the time, said she heard four or five gunshots and then saw people running.

Another man who said his mother was a manager inside the store described what others told him happened inside the store.

“He just walked into the store, when you walk in you turn left and there’s the stairs,” said Thomas Moran, whose mother was not injured. “He went upstairs, asked for his job back, the manager said no and just pulled out a gun.”

Law enforcement sources with direct knowledge of the investigation told News 4 at the time that Wilson lived in Reisterstown, Maryland, which is in Baltimore County.

He had previously been arrested there for assault and weapons in 2006, as well as a series of arrests for possession of marijuana, the sources said. Sources say Wilson lived in Maryland for at least 2010.

News 4 New York spoke to Wilson’s uncle after the shooting, who described his nephew as a good boy who could be “impulsive.” He said he just hoped they caught him alive.

Following the guilty verdict, Wilson’s mother also said her son had suffered a brain injury and was “not in his right mind”.

Judgment is scheduled for June 8.