Virgnia Beach mass shooting shakes the city; 12 dead
Bloody Friday: Twelve employees were killed in a shooting at the Municipal Complex in Virginia Beach on May 31 when a veteran city worker randomly opened fire. All but one of the victims worked for the city; the other was a contractor. Four others were reportedly injured. In a press conference the Virginia Beach City Manager said the void the mass shooting left "will never be filled."
From law enforcement to city officials to the governor the pain from this unexpected attack shook Virginia's largest city to its core.
Gov. Ralph Northam, a staunch proponent of gun control visited the surviving victims at the Sentara Hospital on Saturday and there has been an outpouring of prayerful support from the community and various ministries.
The enraged suspect, Dewayne Antonia Craddock, 40 worked in public utilities as an engineer. He died in a shoot out with four police officers after releasing several rounds from two .45-caliber guns. Before releasing his name police Chief Jim Cervera said Friday night once the suspect's name was identified, his name would be mentioned once, never to be uttered again. Cervera said, "He will be forever referred to as 'the suspect' because our focus now is the dignity and respect to the victims in this case and to their families."
The deceased include 5 women and 7 men. A friend and co-worker rold NPR Ryan Keith Cox died bravely trying to save others. The City of Virginia Beach identified the 12 victims as follows: Laquita Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher and Mary Louise Gayle. Middle row from left: Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Joshua Hardy, Michelle "Missy" Langer and Richard Nettleton. Bottom row from left: Katherine Nixon, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Herbert "Bert" Snelling and Robert "Bobby" Williams.
Police have yet to determine a motive for Craddock's crazed action. According to the Washington Post he had resigned on the same say of the shooting. Other reports say he had been in a scuffle on the job recently.
This is the 150th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2019.
From law enforcement to city officials to the governor the pain from this unexpected attack shook Virginia's largest city to its core.
Gov. Ralph Northam, a staunch proponent of gun control visited the surviving victims at the Sentara Hospital on Saturday and there has been an outpouring of prayerful support from the community and various ministries.
The enraged suspect, Dewayne Antonia Craddock, 40 worked in public utilities as an engineer. He died in a shoot out with four police officers after releasing several rounds from two .45-caliber guns. Before releasing his name police Chief Jim Cervera said Friday night once the suspect's name was identified, his name would be mentioned once, never to be uttered again. Cervera said, "He will be forever referred to as 'the suspect' because our focus now is the dignity and respect to the victims in this case and to their families."
The deceased include 5 women and 7 men. A friend and co-worker rold NPR Ryan Keith Cox died bravely trying to save others. The City of Virginia Beach identified the 12 victims as follows: Laquita Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher and Mary Louise Gayle. Middle row from left: Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Joshua Hardy, Michelle "Missy" Langer and Richard Nettleton. Bottom row from left: Katherine Nixon, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Herbert "Bert" Snelling and Robert "Bobby" Williams.
Police have yet to determine a motive for Craddock's crazed action. According to the Washington Post he had resigned on the same say of the shooting. Other reports say he had been in a scuffle on the job recently.
This is the 150th mass shooting in the U.S. in 2019.
