Eaton Township Weis Markets shooting: Difference between revisions
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Randy Stair, 24, arrived for her late-night shift at [[Weis Markets]] in [[Eaton Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania|Eaton Township, Pennsylvania]], on the evening of June 7, 2017, during closing time at approximately 11:00 p.m. Stair went to the back of the store to the crew area and blocked an [[emergency exit]] at the far back of the store. She then continued with her duties, stocking shelves and cleaning up from the previous day. At 12:10 a.m., she sent out links to multiple files and videos which detailed her plans via her [[Twitter]] account; these files were labeled "Journal", "Suicide Tapes", and "Digital set".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2017/06/weis_market_shooting_randy_stair_murder_suicide_pa.html|title=Weis Market shooting: 4 dead in murder-suicide at Pennsylvania supermarket|work=syracuse.com|access-date=2017-06-21|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Oberhaus|first1=Daniel|last2=Maiberg|first2=Emanuel|title=Why Isn't Twitter Deleting the Weis Market Shooter's 'Suicide Tapes'?|url=https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-isnt-twitter-deleting-the-weis-market-shooters-suicide-tapes|accessdate=June 22, 2017|work=Motherboard|date=June 12, 2017|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McBride|first1=Jessica|title=Randy Stair: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|url=http://heavy.com/news/2017/06/randy-stair-weis-market-shooting-shooter-tunkhannock-pennsylvania-victims-photos-facebook/|accessdate=June 22, 2017|work=[[Heavy.com]]|date=June 8, 2017}}</ref> |
Randy Stair, 24, arrived for her late-night shift at [[Weis Markets]] in [[Eaton Township, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania|Eaton Township, Pennsylvania]], on the evening of June 7, 2017, during closing time at approximately 11:00 p.m. Stair went to the back of the store to the crew area and blocked an [[emergency exit]] at the far back of the store. She then continued with her duties, stocking shelves and cleaning up from the previous day. At 12:10 a.m., she sent out links to multiple files and videos which detailed her plans via her [[Twitter]] account; these files were labeled "Journal", "Suicide Tapes", and "Digital set".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2017/06/weis_market_shooting_randy_stair_murder_suicide_pa.html|title=Weis Market shooting: 4 dead in murder-suicide at Pennsylvania supermarket|work=syracuse.com|access-date=2017-06-21|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Oberhaus|first1=Daniel|last2=Maiberg|first2=Emanuel|title=Why Isn't Twitter Deleting the Weis Market Shooter's 'Suicide Tapes'?|url=https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/why-isnt-twitter-deleting-the-weis-market-shooters-suicide-tapes|accessdate=June 22, 2017|work=Motherboard|date=June 12, 2017|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McBride|first1=Jessica|title=Randy Stair: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|url=http://heavy.com/news/2017/06/randy-stair-weis-market-shooting-shooter-tunkhannock-pennsylvania-victims-photos-facebook/|accessdate=June 22, 2017|work=[[Heavy.com]]|date=June 8, 2017}}</ref> |
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Stair then went back to the crew area in the rear of the store, blocked the remaining exits, then locked the [[automatic door]]s at the main entrance to the store. She then pulled out two [[pistol grip]] [[pump-action shotgun]]s and walked around the store and killed three employees—Victoria Brong, Brian Hayes, and Terry Lee Sterling. She then approached another coworker, Kristan Newell, who had not heard the shooting due to her listening to music with headphones on while she was |
Stair then went back to the crew area in the rear of the store, blocked the remaining exits, then locked the [[automatic door]]s at the main entrance to the store. She then pulled out two [[pistol grip]] [[pump-action shotgun]]s and walked around the store and killed three employees—Victoria Brong, Brian Hayes, and Terry Lee Sterling. She then approached another coworker, Kristan Newell, who had not heard the shooting due to her listening to music with headphones on while she was labelling items and stocking shelves near the rear of the store.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/witness-describes-supermarket-shooting-in-wyoming-county-1.2204208|title=Witness describes supermarket shooting in Wyoming County|last=WRITER|first=BY JOSEPH KOHUT, STAFF|access-date=2017-06-21|language=en-US}}</ref> Stair was seen on [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] surveillance camera footage standing behind Newell as she worked for about five seconds before she proceeded to the next aisle.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/dead-murder-suicide-weis-market-northeast-pa-article-1.3230758|title=Worker who posted violent online cartoons kills three, self|work=NY Daily News|access-date=2017-06-21|language=en}}</ref> |
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After this, Stair proceeded to fire at glass and other merchandise in the store and shot multiple small portable [[propane tank]]s, which failed to explode. Around this time, Newell took off her headphones; hearing the gunshots, she hid in the crew room and called [[9-1-1]]. After a short time, Stair finished shooting items. Stair went to the [[Delicatessen|deli]] section of the store, put the shotgun in her mouth, and killed herself. A total of 59 shots were fired. All [[Shotgun shell|shotgun rounds]] came from one of the shotguns, while the other shotgun was possibly a backup.{{cn|date=November 2016}} |
After this, Stair proceeded to fire at a glass and other merchandise in the store and shot multiple small portable [[propane tank]]s, which failed to explode. Around this time, Newell took off her headphones; hearing the gunshots, she hid in the crew room and called [[9-1-1]]. After a short time, Stair finished shooting items. Stair went to the [[Delicatessen|deli]] section of the store, put the shotgun in her mouth, and killed herself. A total of 59 shots were fired. All [[Shotgun shell|shotgun rounds]] came from one of the shotguns, while the other shotgun was possibly a backup.{{cn|date=November 2016}} |
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== Victims == |
== Victims == |
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Revision as of 03:17, 21 May 2018
| Eaton Township Weis Markets shooting | |
|---|---|
  Location within PA / United States  Eaton Township Weis Markets shooting (the United States) | |
| Location | Eaton Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°31′45″N 75°56′51″W / 41.5291°N 75.9474°W |
| Date | June 8, 2017 12:57 a.m. – 1:01 a.m. (EDT) |
| Target | Employees at Weis Markets |
Attack type | Murder-suicide, workplace violence |
| Weapons | Two pistol gripped Mossberg 500 pump-action shotguns |
| Deaths | 4 (including the perpetrator) |
| Perpetrators | Randy Stair |
In the early hours on the morning of June 8, 2017, employees at a Weis Markets supermarket in Eaton Township, Pennsylvania were stocking and closing the store for the night. Shortly before 1:00 a.m., 24-year-old Randy Stair barricaded the exits of the store and proceeded to shoot and kill three of her co-workers before shooting herself.[1]
Shooting
Randy Stair, 24, arrived for her late-night shift at Weis Markets in Eaton Township, Pennsylvania, on the evening of June 7, 2017, during closing time at approximately 11:00 p.m. Stair went to the back of the store to the crew area and blocked an emergency exit at the far back of the store. She then continued with her duties, stocking shelves and cleaning up from the previous day. At 12:10 a.m., she sent out links to multiple files and videos which detailed her plans via her Twitter account; these files were labeled "Journal", "Suicide Tapes", and "Digital set".[2][3][4]
Stair then went back to the crew area in the rear of the store, blocked the remaining exits, then locked the automatic doors at the main entrance to the store. She then pulled out two pistol grip pump-action shotguns and walked around the store and killed three employees—Victoria Brong, Brian Hayes, and Terry Lee Sterling. She then approached another coworker, Kristan Newell, who had not heard the shooting due to her listening to music with headphones on while she was labelling items and stocking shelves near the rear of the store.[5] Stair was seen on CCTV surveillance camera footage standing behind Newell as she worked for about five seconds before she proceeded to the next aisle.[6]
After this, Stair proceeded to fire at a glass and other merchandise in the store and shot multiple small portable propane tanks, which failed to explode. Around this time, Newell took off her headphones; hearing the gunshots, she hid in the crew room and called 9-1-1. After a short time, Stair finished shooting items. Stair went to the deli section of the store, put the shotgun in her mouth, and killed herself. A total of 59 shots were fired. All shotgun rounds came from one of the shotguns, while the other shotgun was possibly a backup.[citation needed]
Victims
- Victoria Brong, aged 26, mother and 2010 graduate of Tunkhannock High School. Assistant tag manager for Weis Markets.[7]
- Brian Hayes, aged 47, United States Navy veteran.[8]
- Terry Lee Sterling, aged 63.
Perpetrator
Randy Stair | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1992 Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 8, 2017 (aged 24) |
| Cause of death | Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Andrew Blaze |
| Occupation | Supermarket employee |
| Employer | Weis Markets |
Randy Robert Stair (September 17, 1992 – June 8, 2017), who called herself Andrew Blaze, worked at Weis Markets for seven years prior to the shootings. She had kept detailed videos, recordings, and journals leading up to the shooting, most of which she uploaded to online forums and social media profiles just prior. In these writings and videos, she expressed his willingness to commit suicide, addressed the personal tragedies and other misfortunes she experienced which led her to a state of depression, described coming to the conclusion that she was transgender after years of secretly cross-dressing, and explained her plans on carrying out the shooting in detail. Stair also had a fascination with multiple mass shootings, specifically school shootings (particularly the Columbine High School massacre and its perpetrators). In her writings, Stair even called one of the Columbine shooters a hero and wished she could have met him.[9][10]
Since 2007, Stair had a presence on YouTube with her channel Pioneers Productions, which featured short sketches and collaborations she did with other content creators. By 2014, however, she announced that she was going in a different direction with her content, citing numerous unfortunate events that had occurred in her life during the previous year; this led to the creation of "Ember's Ghost Squad" (EGS), an animated series focused on a fictional organization based on the character of Ember McLain from the Nickelodeon animated series Danny Phantom.
In the evening before the shooting, Stair uploaded a final video titled "The Westborough High Massacre", which featured a crudely animated sequence depicting her and one of the characters from EGS murdering students at a fictional high school.[11][12] Se also assumed nine Twitter accounts based on her characters, where she left links to journals and videos she uploaded on MediaFire.[13] She was living in nearby Dallas, Pennsylvania, with her parents and lived in Pennsylvania all of her life.[14]
Aftermath and reactions
The shooting did not receive much attention outside of local news outlets, but multiple Pennsylvania public leaders expressed their sadness and condemned the shooter's actions. Nevertheless, in reaction to the shooting, the Weis Markets store closed until July 13.[15] A Weis Markets spokesperson said, "We are deeply saddened by the events of this morning. The safety of our associates, our customers, and the surrounding community is our top priority."[16]
Becki Hayes, the sister-in-law of victim Brian Hayes, set up a GoFundMe campaign to pay for immediate expenses. Hayes was also featured on Nancy Grace's podcast "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace".[17]
Store reopening and response
On June 14, 2017, Weis Markets announced the store would be reopened.[18] The original store front stayed intact but the interior was gutted and remodeled with a new floor layout. On July 13, 2017, the store was reopened.[19]
Many people who lived in the area questioned why Weis decided to not relocate the store. In an interview with WNEP, some even said they will not even enter the remodeled store due to what occurred there. However, some in the community accepted the supermarket chain's decision. One man said that it would have played into Stair's hands if the store had left. He explained, "The evil man who did this would have wanted them to move and would have wanted people to be scared and not want to go to the store after what he did."[20]
References
- ^ "Victims, Shooter Identified in Weis Markets Murder-Suicide". WNEP.com. 2017-06-08. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ "Weis Market shooting: 4 dead in murder-suicide at Pennsylvania supermarket". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ Oberhaus, Daniel; Maiberg, Emanuel (June 12, 2017). "Why Isn't Twitter Deleting the Weis Market Shooter's 'Suicide Tapes'?". Motherboard. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ McBride, Jessica (June 8, 2017). "Randy Stair: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ WRITER, BY JOSEPH KOHUT, STAFF. "Witness describes supermarket shooting in Wyoming County". Retrieved 2017-06-21.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Worker who posted violent online cartoons kills three, self". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ "Four dead in shooting in Pennsylvania supermarket". Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ Berkeley, Tapinto (June 12, 2017). "A GoFundMe Campaign is Accepting Donations for Family of Brian Hayes, Killed in the Grocery Store Massacre". TAPinto. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "upermarket Killer Posted Video Describing Plan". US News. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=(help) - ^ Innis, Jamie. "Weis Markets shooter leaves behind videos of plans". WOLF. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ Morse, Brandon (June 12, 2017). "Pennsylvania supermarket shooter made disturbing videos predicting his murder spree". TheBlaze. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Scolforo, Mark; De Groot, Kristen (June 8, 2017). "Supermarket massacre shooter left chilling online trail". Associated Press. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
- ^ Singleton, David (June 10, 2017). "Gunman's web posts suggest disconnect with the real world". Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Becker, Dave (2017-06-09). "Four dead in Weis Market shooting". PAHOMEPAGE. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ Marshall, C.J. (June 28, 2017). "County: Weis expected to re-open July 13". Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ "Weis Markets issues statement about shooting |". wkok.com. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ Duke, Alan (June 15, 2017). "Weis Supermarket massacre victim's family needs your help! Desert Storm vet's death robs family of father, husband". Crime Online. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ "Weis Markets set to reopen after deadly shooting". WNEP.com. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
- ^ "Mixed feelings on supermarket reopening after mass shooting". Associated Press. July 9, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "Community reacts to Weis reopening after shooting". WNEP.com. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.