Man killed in West Hempstead shooting remembered as friendly, hardworking; 2 other victims remain hospitalized

The shooting unfolded in Wishropp's second-floor office, where police say Gabriel DeWitt Wilson opened fire, shooting seven times with a semi-automatic handgun.

News 12 Staff

Apr 21, 2021, 4:21 PM

Updated 1,110 days ago

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Nassau officials revealed the identity of one of the victims in Tuesday's West Hempstead shooting, while providing an update on two others who were shot.
Police identified the man who was killed in the shooting at the Stop & Shop location as 49-year-old Ray Wishropp, of Valley Stream. They did not identify the other two who were injured by name, but said that both a 50-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were shot in the shoulder and are recovering at a hospital.
The shooting unfolded in Wishropp's second-floor office, where police say Gabriel DeWitt Wilson opened fire, shooting seven times with a semi-automatic handgun.
Wishropp was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting, and Wilson was captured a few miles away later in the day.
Friends of Wishropp are grief-stricken and in shock about what happened. They describe Wishropp as a hardworking, friendly man who was always willing to lend a hand.
"He was just an all-around good guy, and it just seems like that's who it happens to," says Mary Ellen Vicarious, of Valley Stream.
Wishropp's friends say he was a native of Guyana and came to the U.S. to pursue the American dream. He leaves behind a wife and seven children.
Wishropp's cousin Alex Bernard says his family can't believe he's gone.
"You always see these things on the news and you say, you know your heart goes out to people but when it hits home, that one person, that one casualty was your family member it hurts, it hurts," says Bernard.
Police revealed new information about the alleged shooter and his connections to the store, where he worked as a cart collector. Police say he was a "troubled employee" who had run into several issues with others.
Police tape remained up at the store Wednesday, despite police having left the scene. The store decided to keep it up in hopes of keeping the public out.
The store's website says the location will remain closed until further notice.
Several customers who were inside the store at the time of the shooting have described the harrowing events. Police estimated hundreds may have been shopping at the time of the incident.
David Cazzetto said he was at the store with his mother when the shooting happened. When he went to find his mother, he found her hiding because she had been told shots were fired.
Cazzetto says he and his mother were able to walk home, but says he was kept up all night wondering what may have happened if he hadn't found his mother sooner.


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