Nassau County police responded Tuesday morning to a shooter at a Stop & Shop in West Hempstead, where police said they received calls reporting “multiple shots fired,” authorities said.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran tweeted shortly after noon that police were in active pursuit of a suspect.
“There has been an active shooter incident at the West Hempstead Stop & Shop. Police are canvassing the area & schools nearby have been notified to lock down and secure their buildings.”
Curran added that Nassau police are “asking all area residents to remain indoors. Suspect is not yet apprehended.”
Police spokesman Richard Goetchius said police received a 911 call at 11:19 a.m. reporting shots fired at 50 Cherry Valley Ave.
Police could not immediately say whether anyone was injured and if the reported shots were fired inside or outside the store.
The West Hempstead school district tweeted that everyone in their buildings was safe, but it had locked down its buildings.
“We were informed by the police that there is activity in the area,” the school district’s account tweeted. “We are presently in a lockout and we’ll inform you when it is over. Please do not come to the buildings. Everyone is safe.”
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, speaking to reporters Monday about its security plans in light of the pending verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial, said the department was already in heightened alert even before the expected verdict due to religious holidays and the anniversaries of other mass shootings and terrorist attacks.
Ramadan, the month Muslims dedicate to prayer and sacrifice, began on April 12, Ryder said, and the department boosted security at Nassau mosques to ward off anti-Islamic violence.
The commissioner also said the month of April is especially concerning for law-enforcement officials because many infamous mass shootings and terrorist attacks — Columbine, Virginia Tech, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Boston Marathon bombing — have occurred during the month. Some of those attacks were meant to commemorate the April 20 birthday of Adolph Hitler.
