[ad_1]
12 people were killed in a shootout Friday in a Virginia Beach municipal building. On Saturday, city officials named them and showed their photos. (June 1st)
AP, AP
Twelve people were killed when a public works employee fired on Friday in a Virginia Beach municipal building.
The alleged gunman, a 15-year-old public works veteran and a civil engineer, was also shot dead after a confrontation with the police.
The shooting, the deadliest of the year in the country, took place on Friday afternoon around 4 pm. when the shooter fired on the first casualty outside Building 2, a three-story brick structure with approximately 400 municipal employees.
The suspect then went to the building, going from one floor to the other and shooting at workers. The victims were then found on all three floors.
The police are still investigating and claiming to know the shooter's motive.
Here's what we know on Monday:
What happened?
Police said the suspect was armed with a .45 caliber handgun with a silencer, meant to be used for stealth and to prevent victims from knowing where the attacker was in the building.
Survivors of the attack said they were caught off guard and at first disconcerted by what was happening. One of them described hearing something that looked like a nail gun. The shooter has brought many magazines loaded with ammunition containing more cartridges than traditional magazines, the police said.
Gun suppressor used: The alleged gunman in Virginia Beach used a gun suppressor. Did it make Friday's shooting more deadly?
The shooting started around 16 hours. On Friday and at 4.43, the police reported on the radio that the suspect was in police custody.
The gunman was killed in an "intense fight" with four officers who blocked him and probably prevented him from using his cargo of ammunition on other victims, said Chief of Police James Cervera .
A police officer was shot in the stomach during the confrontation, but his bullet-proof vest prevented him from serious injury.
The four police officers searched the building in search of the gunman. They discovered him on the second floor of the building and engaged him in a fight. The suspect fired many shots through the office door and the wall towards the police before the gunfire stopped, said Cervera.
Thank you! You are almost registered for
Keep an eye on an email to confirm your subscription to the newsletter.
It was then that the agents decided to enter the office and engage the shooter. "It's not an easy decision to make," said Cervera. "There is an individual on the other side of the door, he has a rifle, he just fired at one of your officers."
The police found the gunman alive but she was injured and started administering first aid. The suspect died en route to the hospital.
"Officer hit! Officer struck! & # 39 ;: How did the drama unfold on Virginia Beach
Who are the victims?
Eleven of the 12 victims killed during the country 's deadliest shootings in the country were working for the city.
Family and friends remembered these victims as longtime public works employees, a singer with a "beautiful singing voice", "an adorable woman" who was eagerly awaiting a day at the spa, a music lover Scottish bagpiper and caring neighbor who kept his lawn in top form.
"Woman of God", Scottish music lover: These are the victims of the Virginia Beach shootings
All were honored during vigils around the city this weekend.
Four other people were also affected by the attack but survived. All underwent several operations and were recovering in two hospitals in the region.
Who is the suspect?
The alleged gunman put his notice of two weeks Friday morning, a few hours before the attack.
Virginia Beach City Director Dave Hansen said the man's job was "satisfying". He was not subject to any disciplinary action before notifying the city of his intention to resign and he was not dismissed.
More: A Virginia Beach shooter disconcerts the authorities; the suspect was in good standing in his job
"He was in good standing in his department, there was no discipline issue going on," Hansen said.
In an interview with USA TODAY, Cervera said that the motive of the armed man was a mystery to the authorities – a blatant question to which he might never be answered.
"At the moment, we are open to everything about his motives, we have never focused on one thing," he said. "You have a professional life, you have a personal life, is it something that has happened in your personal life, is it something long that has happened in your personal life?"
The suspect served in the National Army Guard, according to a newspaper article from the time of his hiring in the city, and received basic military training and advanced individual training at Fort Sill, in Oklahoma.
The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has legally purchased two .45 caliber handguns – in 2016 and 2018. Both were found at the scene. of the crime and have not been used in any other crime, reported the ATF. .
Contributors: Christal Hayes, Joel Shannon, George Petras, Dea Yancey-Bragg, Chris Woodyard, Jeffrey Schwaner, Joey Garrison, Doug Stanglin, Chris Quintana, Mike James, Rose Velazquez, Brad Zinn and Kristin Lam.
Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/03/virginia-beach-shooting-updates-victims-shooter-what-we-know/1326599001/
[ad_2]
Source link