12 people killed in Virginia Beach shooting; gunman dead

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A longtime city employee opened fire in a municipal building in Virginia Beach on Friday, killing 12 people on three floors and sending terrified coworkers scrambling for cover before police shot and killed him following a “long gun battle,” authorities said.

Four other people were wounded in the shooting, including a police officer whose bulletproof vest saved his life, said Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who visited the scene, called it “a horrific day for Virginia.”

The shooting happened shortly after 4 p.m. when the veteran employee of the Public Utilities Department entered Building 2 in the Virginia Beach Municipal Center and “immediately began to indiscriminately fire upon all of the victims,” Cervera said.

Police entered the building and got out as many employees as they could, then engaged in a lengthy gun battle with the gunman, who was killed, the chief said. Police initially said the gunman shot and killed 11 people, including one who was found inside a vehicle outside the municipal building. Cervera later said one more died on the way to the hospital.

He said police had identified the gunman but have not released his name because they haven’t been able to notify family members. When he does release the name, Cervera said, it will be only once. After that, the chief 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 shootings sent shock waves through Virginia Beach, the state’s largest city and a popular vacation spot in southeastern Virginia.

“This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach,” Mayor Bobby Dyer said.

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Friday’s killings added another city to the growing list of places affected by a mass shooting. It is the deadliest since February, when a warehouse employee in Aurora, Ill., opened fire after being told he would lose his job. That gunman killed five people and injured five police officers before dying in a shootout with law enforcement personnel.

Virginia Beach, a resort city with an population of about 450,000, is the most populous city in the state. It has nearly twice as many residents as Richmond. The municipal center is a sprawling compound of more than 30 buildings and annexes that includes City Hall, courts, and offices for multiple city departments, a city directory shows.

The three-story Building 2, where the shooting occurred, has about 200 workers who inspect properties, issue building permits, handle zoning issues, and deal with the complex issues of public works, from trash pickup to water distribution.

Megan Banton, an administrative assistant who works in the building where the shooting happened, said she heard gunshots, called 911, and barricaded a door.

“We tried to do everything we could to keep everybody safe,” she said. “We were all just terrified. It felt like it wasn’t real, like we were in a dream. You are just terrified because all you can hear is the gunshots.”

The sound of gunshots continued as about 20 people huddled on the floor after they barricaded the door with a desk. “We kept hearing gunfire,” Banton said. “We were trying to keep as quiet as possible.”

She said she texted her mom, telling her that there was an active shooter in the building and she and others were waiting for police. Banton works in an office of about 20 people that is part of the public works department.

"Thank god my baby is OK," Banton's mother, Dana Showers, said.

Paul Swain, 50, was among those who arrived at the Princess Anne Middle School to reunite with loved ones who were in the building during the shooting.

He said he saw his fiancee from across the parking lot, clearly in an agitated state.

“I think she knew some of the people,” he said.

Outside the school, Cheryl Benn, 65, waited while her husband, David, a traffic engineer with the city who was in the building where the shooting happened, gave a written statement to detectives.

She said her husband initially called her from a barricaded room and said it sounded as if someone had been working with a nail gun. Then he saw the bodies.

“This is unbelievable for Virginia Beach,” Cheryl Benn said. “By and large, it’s a pretty calm and peaceful place to live.”

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed and was monitoring the situation.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who visited the scene, said it was “a horrific day for Virginia.” He said the state was “devastated by the tragic shooting,” and he decried the “unspeakable, senseless violence.” Northam offered the state’s full support to shooting survivors and relatives of the victims.

City Councilman Aaron Rouse tweeted, “Pray for our City!”

This article contains information from the Washington Post.