All but one of the victims of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/disgruntled-city-employee-kills-11-in-virginia-suspect-also-killed-223288">Friday's mass shooting in Virginia Beach</a> were municipal employees. They were named on Saturday at a news conference by Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen.&nbsp;

The gunman who killed 12 people at a Virginia Beach municipal building before dying in a shootout with police was identified on Saturday as a disgruntled city engineer and co-worker of most of the victims.

All but one of the victims from the mass shooting in the coastal resort community were employed by the city, officials said, while the other was a contractor seeking a permit. Four people were wounded.

The gunman, DeWayne Craddock, had worked for the city's public utility department for about 15 years, Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera said at a news conference. He declined to comment on any possible motive.

"This is a large-scale crime scene, it’s a horrific crime scene," Cervera said, adding that investigators who spent the night inside the building endured a "physical, emotional and psychological toll."

It was the worst mass shooting in the United States since November 2018, when a dozen people were slain at a Los Angeles-area bar and grill by a gunman who then killed himself.

Bodies were found on all three floors of the Virginia Beach building and in a car parked outside, according to authorities.

Police said the gunman used an employee pass to enter secure areas before firing "immediately and indiscriminately" on his victims with a .45 caliber handgun equipped with a "sound suppressor" device and multiple extended ammunition magazines. They said more weapons were found at the scene and at Craddock's home.

Two police supervisors from a building across the street arrived within minutes, Cervera said, and the suspect was killed after a lengthy gun battle.

The victims who worked for Virginia Beach had been employed for between 11 months and 41 years. Six worked in the public utilities department and five were employed in the public works department.

"They leave a void that we will never be able to fill," City Manager Dave Hansen told reporters.

A number of vigils are planned in Virginia Beach to commemorate the victims.

MAKESHIFT BARRICADES

The bloodshed unfolded at Building Two of a municipal centre complex on Friday afternoon as workers prepared to leave for the weekend. Some survivors recounted how they cowered in fear after stacking desks against office doors as makeshift barricades.

The four people who were seriously wounded were still being treated at local hospitals. They included a police officer whose life was saved by his ballistic vest, Cervera said.

According to local media, Craddock was 40 years old and had no serious criminal record.

He served in the Virginia National Guard from 1996 to 2002, and was assigned to a Norfolk-based battalion as a cannon crew member, a guard spokesman said in an email. Craddock's records do not indicate any overseas deployments, the spokesman said.

The scene of the shooting lies several miles inland from the town's popular seashore, situated on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia's most populous city has roughly 450,000 year-round residents.

Virginia Beach police had trained for a mass shooting and had even planned to hold a citizen workshop on active shooter situations on Saturday. The workshop was cancelled.

President Donald Trump said in a message on Twitter on Saturday that he had spoken to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Virginia Beach officials and offered the federal government's help. "God bless the families and all!" Trump said.

All but one of the victims of Friday's mass shooting in Virginia Beach were municipal employees. They were named on Saturday at a news conference by Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen.

All but one of the victims of Friday's mass shooting in Virginia Beach were municipal employees. They were named on Saturday at a news conference by Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen. The gunman who killed 12 people at a Virginia Beach municipal building before dying in a shootout with police was identified on Saturday as a disgruntled city engineer and co-worker of most of the victims. All but one of the victims from the mass shooting in the coastal resort community were employed by the city, officials said, while the other was a contractor seeking a permit. Four people were wounded. The gunman, DeWayne Craddock, had worked for the city's public utility department for about 15 years, Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera said at a news conference. He declined to comment on any possible motive. "This is a large-scale crime scene, it’s a horrific crime scene," Cervera said, adding that investigators who spent the night inside the building endured a "physical, emotional and psychological toll." It was the worst mass shooting in the United States since November 2018, when a dozen people were slain at a Los Angeles-area bar and grill by a gunman who then killed himself. Bodies were found on all three floors of the Virginia Beach building and in a car parked outside, according to authorities. Police said the gunman used an employee pass to enter secure areas before firing "immediately and indiscriminately" on his victims with a .45 caliber handgun equipped with a "sound suppressor" device and multiple extended ammunition magazines. They said more weapons were found at the scene and at Craddock's home. Two police supervisors from a building across the street arrived within minutes, Cervera said, and the suspect was killed after a lengthy gun battle. The victims who worked for Virginia Beach had been employed for between 11 months and 41 years. Six worked in the public utilities department and five were employed in the public works department. "They leave a void that we will never be able to fill," City Manager Dave Hansen told reporters. A number of vigils are planned in Virginia Beach to commemorate the victims. MAKESHIFT BARRICADES The bloodshed unfolded at Building Two of a municipal centre complex on Friday afternoon as workers prepared to leave for the weekend. Some survivors recounted how they cowered in fear after stacking desks against office doors as makeshift barricades. The four people who were seriously wounded were still being treated at local hospitals. They included a police officer whose life was saved by his ballistic vest, Cervera said. According to local media, Craddock was 40 years old and had no serious criminal record. He served in the Virginia National Guard from 1996 to 2002, and was assigned to a Norfolk-based battalion as a cannon crew member, a guard spokesman said in an email. Craddock's records do not indicate any overseas deployments, the spokesman said. The scene of the shooting lies several miles inland from the town's popular seashore, situated on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia's most populous city has roughly 450,000 year-round residents. Virginia Beach police had trained for a mass shooting and had even planned to hold a citizen workshop on active shooter situations on Saturday. The workshop was cancelled. President Donald Trump said in a message on Twitter on Saturday that he had spoken to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Virginia Beach officials and offered the federal government's help. "God bless the families and all!" Trump said.

Virginia Beach mass shooting: Most victims identified as city employees, gunman was 'disgruntled' engineer

A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire with a handgun on co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia on Friday afternoon, killing 12 people and wounding at least four before he was fatally shot by police, authorities said.

The mass shooting in the coastal resort of Virginia Beach was the deadliest instance of US gun violence since November 2018, when a dozen people were slain at a Los Angeles-area bar and grill by a gunman who then killed himself.

Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera said the suspect in Friday's carnage was armed with a .45-caliber pistol equipped with a "sound suppressor" device and "extended" ammunition magazines he used to reload repeatedly during the attack.

Survivors recounted scenes of pandemonium and fear that erupted as gunshots rang out, and workers scurried frantically for cover.

"We just heard people yelling and screaming to get down," Megan Banton, a public utilities worker, told television station WAVY-TV, recalling that she and co-workers barricaded themselves in their office.

"We put the desk up against the door because we didn't know if they were coming in. We were just hoping that it would be over soon, and then we heard the cops yelling up the steps." &nbsp;

The first victim was shot in a vehicle outside the public works and utilities building at the city municipal centre before the suspect entered that building and "immediately and indiscriminately fired upon all the victims," Cervera said.

The chief said the suspect engaged in a "long-term gun battle" with four police officers who confronted him inside, preventing the gunman from "committing more carnage in that building."

One officer was wounded in the shootout, but his bullet-proof vest saved his life, Cervera said. Authorities said the gunman ultimately was shot by police and was declared dead at a hospital.

'More questions than answers'

Cervera said the suspect was a longtime public utilities employee, and described him as "disgruntled," but declined to say more about what may have precipitated the attack.

"We have more questions than we really have answers," he told reporters about two hours after the shooting.

The shooting was believed to be the deadliest act of workplace gun violence in the United States since February, when a factory worker shot five colleagues to death in Aurora, Illinois, just after he was let go from his job.

Authorities have determined the suspect's identity but are not ready to make the name public, Cervera said.

"We will release his name once," the chief said. "Then he will be forever referred to as 'the suspect,' because our focus now is on the dignity and respect of the victims and their families."

The bloodshed unfolded, according to police, at Building Two of the municipal centre complex, where office space for more than 400 employees houses information technology, public works, planning and utilities departments next door to City Hall.

The complex lies several miles inland from the town's popular seashore, situated on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Southeast Virginia's most populous city has roughly 450,000 year-round residents.

"This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," Mayor Bobby Dyer said at a news conference with the police chief. "The people involved are our friends, co-workers, neighbours, colleagues."

Arriving in town a short time after the shooting, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said: "This is just a horrific day."

"Our hearts ache for victims of the senseless violence that has been inflicted on the community," he told a news conference hours later.

In Washington, a White House spokesman said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting and "continues to monitor the situation."

A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire with a handgun on co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia on Friday afternoon, killing 12 people and wounding at least four before he was fatally shot by police, authorities said.

A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire with a handgun on co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia on Friday afternoon, killing 12 people and wounding at least four before he was fatally shot by police, authorities said. The mass shooting in the coastal resort of Virginia Beach was the deadliest instance of US gun violence since November 2018, when a dozen people were slain at a Los Angeles-area bar and grill by a gunman who then killed himself. Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera said the suspect in Friday's carnage was armed with a .45-caliber pistol equipped with a "sound suppressor" device and "extended" ammunition magazines he used to reload repeatedly during the attack. Survivors recounted scenes of pandemonium and fear that erupted as gunshots rang out, and workers scurried frantically for cover. "We just heard people yelling and screaming to get down," Megan Banton, a public utilities worker, told television station WAVY-TV, recalling that she and co-workers barricaded themselves in their office. "We put the desk up against the door because we didn't know if they were coming in. We were just hoping that it would be over soon, and then we heard the cops yelling up the steps." The first victim was shot in a vehicle outside the public works and utilities building at the city municipal centre before the suspect entered that building and "immediately and indiscriminately fired upon all the victims," Cervera said. The chief said the suspect engaged in a "long-term gun battle" with four police officers who confronted him inside, preventing the gunman from "committing more carnage in that building." One officer was wounded in the shootout, but his bullet-proof vest saved his life, Cervera said. Authorities said the gunman ultimately was shot by police and was declared dead at a hospital. 'More questions than answers' Cervera said the suspect was a longtime public utilities employee, and described him as "disgruntled," but declined to say more about what may have precipitated the attack. "We have more questions than we really have answers," he told reporters about two hours after the shooting. The shooting was believed to be the deadliest act of workplace gun violence in the United States since February, when a factory worker shot five colleagues to death in Aurora, Illinois, just after he was let go from his job. Authorities have determined the suspect's identity but are not ready to make the name public, Cervera said. "We will release his name once," the chief said. "Then he will be forever referred to as 'the suspect,' because our focus now is on the dignity and respect of the victims and their families." The bloodshed unfolded, according to police, at Building Two of the municipal centre complex, where office space for more than 400 employees houses information technology, public works, planning and utilities departments next door to City Hall. The complex lies several miles inland from the town's popular seashore, situated on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Southeast Virginia's most populous city has roughly 450,000 year-round residents. "This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," Mayor Bobby Dyer said at a news conference with the police chief. "The people involved are our friends, co-workers, neighbours, colleagues." Arriving in town a short time after the shooting, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said: "This is just a horrific day." "Our hearts ache for victims of the senseless violence that has been inflicted on the community," he told a news conference hours later. In Washington, a White House spokesman said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting and "continues to monitor the situation."

12 killed in mass shooting at government building in Virginia Beach

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In a blow to India, US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the United States would end its preferential trade treatment for India on June 5, reported news agency Reuters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/disgruntled-city-employee-kills-11-in-virginia-suspect-also-killed-223288">11 killed in mass shooting at government building in Virginia Beach</a>

A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire on co-workers at city offices in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday afternoon, killing 11 people and wounding at least six others before he was fatally shot by police, authorities said.

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US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind Boris Johnson's campaign to be Britain's next prime minister and urged all candidates to pledge to boost defence spending, in a striking intervention ahead of his state visit next week.

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Newly-appointed Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani Friday said she is "committed to take all appropriate steps" to ensure women empowerment and welfare of children in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-preparing-antitrust-probe-of-google-report-223296">US preparing antitrust probe of Google: Report</a>

The US Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust investigation of Internet titan Google, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

&nbsp;

US President Trump to end trade privileges for India on June 5 In a blow to India, US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the United States would end its preferential trade treatment for India on June 5, reported news agency Reuters.

US President Trump to end trade privileges for India on June 5 In a blow to India, US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the United States would end its preferential trade treatment for India on June 5, reported news agency Reuters. 11 killed in mass shooting at government building in Virginia Beach A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire on co-workers at city offices in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday afternoon, killing 11 people and wounding at least six others before he was fatally shot by police, authorities said. Trump says Boris Johnson would be 'very good' as next UK prime minister US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind Boris Johnson's campaign to be Britain's next prime minister and urged all candidates to pledge to boost defence spending, in a striking intervention ahead of his state visit next week. Committed to ensure women empowerment, children welfare: Smriti Irani Newly-appointed Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani Friday said she is "committed to take all appropriate steps" to ensure women empowerment and welfare of children in the country. US preparing antitrust probe of Google: Report The US Department of Justice is preparing an antitrust investigation of Internet titan Google, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

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Virginia Beach mass shooting: Most victims identified as city employees, gunman was 'disgruntled' engineer

12 killed in mass shooting at government building in Virginia Beach

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