Virginia Beach tries to dispel "rumors" about mass shooting



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Officials from Virginia Beach reacted Thursday against what they described as "rumors, insinuations, conflicting theories and speculation" about the mass killing that took place last month in a municipal building.

But the police in this coastal city of nearly half a million inhabitants has also not offered a possible motive behind the country's most deadly shootings in 2019. And the family of One of the 12 dead persons requests an independent investigation.

After days of relative calm, the city released a lengthy explanation of where the investigation was about two weeks after the civil engineer DeWayne Craddock opened fire in the tall building in the city where he worked.

The statement described police efforts, including the interrogation projects of 240 people, but also aimed to refute the misinformation about a tragedy that remains particularly impenetrable and ripe for speculation.

City officials said the police investigated a report that Craddock, 40, was "fighting, arguing and fighting" before the rampage. However, officials said the police had "not discovered any evidence corroborating these allegations".

The city's statement also dealt with "suggestions" regarding one of the victims, Kate Nixon, an engineer who worked for Craddock.

Officials said Nixon had not received Craddock's e-mail resignation, that he had sent the day of the attack, and that he "n & # 39; He was not a supervisor in the shooter's chain of command. "

The denial comes more than a week after the city issued Craddock's two-sentence resignation letter. The names of the recipients have been redacted. So it was the moment he was sent on May 31st.

Craddock's email gave him two weeks' notice, citing "personal reasons". But that did not indicate that he was unhappy at work or that he blamed anyone.

Since the Craddock letter of resignation was issued, Nixon's family has expressed concerns about Craddock.

She "had written to him in the past and thought that he had a bad attitude," wrote Kevin Martingayle, a family lawyer, in an email to The Associated Press.

"We do not know if he was subject to disciplinary action or dismissal when he resigned, but the resignation email he sent and his response suggest that" he said. something was happening, "wrote Martingayle.

"The complete records of the shooter's employment should be published immediately, as permitted by law, and a thorough independent inquiry should be conducted without delay."

The records that the city has published on Craddock have revealed little.

In response to an application from the Associated Press, the city said Craddock earned $ 83,283.20 a year. But the city has selected nine performance evaluations, citing exemptions for personnel information.

Police search warrants were also sealed. And Craddock's 2017 divorce statements were about as flawless as his resignation letter, citing "irreconcilable" differences.

He and his wife had two dogs, Jackson and Carbon, which she took possession, according to reports. He kept the house and agreed to pay him $ 25,000.

Officials from Virginia Beach said the police "examine every track and examine each avenue for facts"

"We understand the keen interest in discovering why one of ours has conducted this murderous rampage," said the city. "No one wants more answers than we do.We, like families, colleagues and the community, want to understand as best as we can the circumstances that contributed to this tragedy."

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This story has been corrected to show that Craddock's divorce was filed in 2017.

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