Shooting in Virginia: shocking details of the tragedy that killed 12 people

On May 31, a municipal utility worker opened fire on employees at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, killing 12 people and injuring at least four more. During a shootout with the police, the man died. A day later, the details of the tragedy became known and the name of the shooter was named.

Photo: video frame YouTube / ABC News

Virginia Beach Police Chief Jim Cervera said the man died in a shootout with four officers who stormed the building. According to Server, the shooter was armed with a .45-caliber pistol and used multiple oversized ammunition magazines during his attack, leaving behind a “war zone,” he writes. USA Today.

According to the Servers, shortly after 16: The 00 fighter entered the municipal center in Virginia Beach, where a man works around 400 and "immediately began firing at people without any disagreement." Until the middle of the day 1 June, his name was not voiced in order to have time to inform his relatives about the incident.

“The police did not allow this man to commit a massacre,” Cervera said. “He most likely would have used all his ammunition to shoot innocents if the officers had not engaged him in a firefight, forcing him to use the huge supply he brought for his murderous mission.”

Among the wounded was a Virginia Beach police officer whose life was saved by his body armor, Cervera said.

Police also say the gunman brought extended ammunition magazines, which could hold more ammunition than normal ones, as he planned to cause widespread damage. He also had a gun silencer, which, unlike some states, is legal in Virginia, but not in Virginia Beach.

On the subject: Shooting in Virginia: At least 11 people died

Mass shooting caused a shock in the popular resort town of Virginia Beach with a population of 440 000 people. The municipal center is located a few miles from the resort area of ​​the beach along the Atlantic coast, approximately 200 miles (about 320 km) south of Washington DC. There are also three military bases in this area.

How much the survivors are injured is still unclear. Four wounded were operated shortly after the tragedy. At first, the police reported 11 dead, but it soon became clear that 12 had died on the way to the hospital.

According to Cervera, police were carrying the seriously wounded shooter out of the building, at which point he died.

The shooting began in building number 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, which includes several urban sites, including the police department. The building adjoins the city hall.

Photo: video frame YouTube / ABC News

Megan Benton, an administrative assistant and employee of the building where the shooting started, said that when she heard the shots, she called 911 and barricaded the door.

“We tried to do everything we could to keep everyone safe,” she said. “We were all just terrified.” It seemed unreal, like a dream. You're just really scared; all you can hear is gunshots."

Employee Sheila Cook said that the workers had heard the shooting, but they did not think that everything was so close. The police were able to quickly warn them to give them time to leave the building.

"I'm still shocked because there are too many murders going on," Cook said.

Zand Bakhtiari was one of five people remaining in the information technology department on the first floor at the end of the day. His boss warned him - he sent him an SMS that there was a shooter in the building. The man says the sounds sounded like a short burst from a machine gun. About 10 minutes later, SWAT members and police escorted Bakhatiari and his colleagues to safety.

Arthur Felton, a 18-year-old planning officer, said he managed to evacuate after a colleague heard shots. Shocked, Felton admitted that he “never thought it would happen in my building. I’m sure I know most of those killed. ”

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City Council member Barbara Henley arrived at the City Hall and heard sirens. The woman suggested that there was an accident, but the staff told her about the shooting. Henley says that security measures have recently been increased at the city hall, but other buildings are not following this example.

Cervera noted that citizens can “calm down” - the suspect has been eliminated.

“This day will not define Virginia Beach, but our response will,” said Councilman Aaron Routh. “We will come together, we will show the strength of our city.”

Photo: video frame YouTube / ABC News

What is known about the shooter

The police named the shooter - he was 40-year-old Dwayne Craddock, writes Boston 25 News.

Craddock worked at Virginia Beach utilities, he received a security pass, “like all employees” to be able to enter the interior of a building, city manager Dave Hansen told a news conference on the morning of June 1.

“He was allowed to enter the building,” Hansen noted.

In recent weeks, Craddock has bought weapons many times. Officials said the man used a pistol and a rifle that was legally purchased.

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Craddock had many years of experience in mechanical engineering.

In May, 2008, he was hired to work on a construction site design team and a team of engineers at Draper Aden Associates in Hampton Roads, Va. The newspaper reports that Craddock had engineering expertise in project management for site design, stormwater management, and the design of private engineering systems.

Photo: video frame YouTube / ABC News

In 1996, Craddock graduated from Denby High School in Newport News, Virginia, after which he joined the National Guard. He was a graduate of the University of Old Dominion, where he received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. After graduating from university in 2002 four years later, he received a professional engineering license.

Craddock had virtually no record of violating the law, with only one documented complaint found in the counties closest to Virginia Beach and in the city itself, related to a car incident.

The shooter lived in a condominium in Virginia Beach, where the police arrived on the evening of May 31. According to the neighbor, Craddock was a quiet man who held himself in his hands.

“We heard him walking around, he was throwing things at about 2 a.m., and me and my roommate were trying to figure out what he was doing,” the neighbor said. “I never saw him take out the trash, bring groceries, or have people come in or out. He was very reserved."

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