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Twelve victims killed in Virginia Beach shooting identified

by Tal Axelrod

Officials in Virginia Beach, Va., on Saturday morning identified the 12 victims who died in the shooting in the city’s municipal building on Friday afternoon.

The victims were identified as Laquita Brown, Mary Louise Gayle, Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Katherine Nixon, Richard Nettleton, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Ryan Keith Cox, Joshua Hardy, Michelle “Missy” Langer, Robert “Bobby” Williams and Herbert “Bert” Snelling.

All but one of the victims were city employees who worked in the public works department. Snelling was a contractor.{mosads}

“We want you to know who they were so in the days and weeks to come you will learn what they meant to all of us, to their families, to their friends and to their co-workers,” City Manager Dave Hansen told reporters. “They leave a void that we will never be able to fill.”

President Trump said Saturday morning that he had spoken with Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and the mayor and vice mayor of Virginia Beach to offer his condolences and the support of the federal government.
 
“Spoke to Virginia Governor @RalphNortham last night, and the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Virginia Beach this morning, to offer condolences to that great community. The Federal Government is there, and will be, for whatever they may need. God bless the families and all!” he tweeted.
 
Police Chief Jim Cervera identified the suspected gunman as DeWayne Craddock, 40, a public utilities engineer, adding that he would utter Craddock’s name only once and would refer to him as “the suspect” moving forward to avoid publicity for the shooter.

Authorities said Craddock entered the municipal building using his security pass around 4 p.m. and “began to indiscriminately fire upon all the victims” using a .45-caliber handgun with multiple extended magazines and a suppressor.

He was killed after what was described as a “long-term gun battle” with four police officers.

Four other people were injured in the shooting, including a police officer who was saved by his bulletproof vest, according to authorities.

Officials declined to speculate on the motive of the shooting, though reports have emerged that described Craddock as a disgruntled employee.

Updated: 11 a.m.