Convicted killer shows ‘zero remorse’

A disgruntled employee who shot and killed his work supervisor at a West Hempstead Stop & Shop in April 2021 was found guilty last week.

A jury in Nassau County Criminal Court deliberated for only six hours before convicting 33-year-old Gabriel DeWitt Wilson, of Hempstead, of second-degree murder for the April 20, 2021, shooting inside the Stop & Shop at 50 Cherry Valley Road.

Wilson, an employee of the store at the time, was also convicted of the attempted murder of two coworkers, in addition to several other charges. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 8, and will face up to 90 years to life in prison.

During the trial, prosecutors stated that Wilson arrived at the grocery store at 11:19 a.m., on a day he was not scheduled to work, walked into the offices on the second floor and shot one victim in the face and chest. Wilson then shot a female manager in the shoulder, according to prosecutors.

Wilson continued on his shooting rampage, entering a second office and shooting his supervisor, Ray Wishropp, 49, of Valley Stream, in the chest at point-blank range, killing him, prosecutors said.

At that point, Wilson left the building and walked to Hempstead, where he was arrested at 3:50 p.m. after a manhunt.

Wishropp, who was eating a sandwich on his lunch break when he was shot, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“This defendant has shown zero remorse for his actions,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. “We thank the jury for their service and our thoughts are with Ray’s many family members, friends and longtime coworkers — many of whom attended the trial — as they continue to mourn his senseless loss.”

Donnelly described Wilson as a disgruntled employee. In an April 2021 issue of the Herald, Stephen Fitzpatrick, commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department, said Wilson had a history of mental illness, and had been making unwanted advances toward a female colleague. He also had a history of disputes with coworkers.

Donnelly said that Wilson went to the grocery store with “a loaded semi-automatic gun and the intent to kill.”

Wishropp was a father of seven children who attended Valley Stream schools. In another April 2021 Herald story, Wishropp was described as a dedicated father.

“He was a good father, and he always said ‘hi’ to me,” neighbor Esther Guartafierro said at the time. “He was good with his kids, and he was just that kind of loving and nice person.”

“One thing to know about my cousin is that he was an incredibly strong family man,” Wishropp’s cousin Gordon Stevenson said.

Wilson was convicted of one count of second-degree murder for the killing of Wishropp, and two counts of second-degree attempted murder for shooting his two coworkers. In addition, he was convicted of two counts of assault and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.