Stop & Shop Shooter Gets 50 Years to Life for April 2021 Murder of Manager
A Nassau County judge sentenced a Hempstead man to 50 years to life in prison on Thursday for an April 2021 shooting at West Hempstead Stop & Shop that killed a manager and left two other employees injured, Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly announced.
A jury convicted 33-year-old Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, who was an employee at the supermarket, of killing 49-year-old manager Ray Wishropp and attempting to murder two other coworkers in May.
“Gabriel Wilson intended to cause death and destruction when he entered a West Hempstead Stop and Shop with a semi-automatic gun on April 20, 2021,” Donnelly said. “Wilson methodically entered office after office on the second floor of the grocery store, shooting his coworkers without hesitation.
“Sadly, 49-year-old Ray Wishropp was shot directly in the chest at point-blank range and killed, while two other employees were seriously injured, but escaped,” Donnelle added. “This defendant showed no contrition or remorse since he was apprehended or throughout the duration of his trial. I am pleased that this very dangerous individual will now likely spend the rest of his life in a prison cell. We hope that this sentence provides some measure of justice for Ray’s family, friends, and coworkers still mourning his tragic loss.”
According to Donnelly, Wilson entered the supermarket at about 11:19 a.m. on April 20, 2021. Though he was employed at the West Hempstead store, he was not scheduled to work at this time. He went upstairs, where the manager and offices are located, and shot two employees multiple times, striking and injuring each of them.
Wilson then went to the next room and shot Wishropp, who was eating on his lunch break, in the chest and leg. Wishropp was pronounced dead on the scene. Wilson then fled on foot and was arrested at about 3:50 p.m. in Hempstead.
Wilson was found guilty for one count of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
