VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - The Latest on the deadly shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach (all times local):
4:30 p.m.
Officials in Virginia Beach have released the brief resignation letter that was submitted by the man who police say fatally shot 12 people at the municipal building where he worked.
It gives no hint about what he planned to do or why.
DeWayne Craddock’s partially redacted resignation letter was released Monday. He said it “has been a pleasure to serve the city, but due to personal reasons I must relieve my position.”
The 40-year-old wrote that he wanted to “officially put in my (2) weeks’ notice” and vacate his position of “Engineer III with the City of Virginia Beach.”
An unidentified person responded stating that he or she hoped that Craddock is able to resolve his personal issues and that Craddock’s last day would be Friday June 14.
Craddock responded, writing “Thank you. Yes, that is correct.”
The shooting began sometime later.
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4:15 p.m.
Holding back tears, a survivor of the Virginia shooting that killed 12 people says her colleague saved her and others before being fatally shot.
Christi Dewar says colleague Ryan Keith Cox barricaded several people into a room as the gunman started shooting Friday at the Virginia Beach Municipal complex where she works.
Dewar says Cox told employees to get against the wall and “stay still, stay quiet.”
Dewar says Cox headed toward the sound of gunshots to try to save other people when he was killed. When police rescued the group of huddled women, one woman shrieked that Cox was down.
Dewar calls Cox a guardian angel and says she is grateful for his selfless act.
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11 a.m.
Hundreds of city employees are streaming into the Virginia Beach Convention Center in a somber gathering three days after a gunman opened fire in a municipal building, killing 12 people.
The private gathering Monday was for employees only. Two city firetrucks are parked outside the convention center. One has a huge American flag hanging from a ladder.
Michelle Walz is a supervisor in the city’s Parks Department. He says City Manager David Hansen spoke to employees and told them that they will stick together and work through the tragedy as a “family.”
The city is making a large number of counselors available for employees.
City officials say DeWayne Craddock opened fire on his co-workers Friday, hours after he sent his supervisor a resignation email. Craddock was an engineer in the city’s utilities department and was killed during a gunbattle with police.
Officials say the resignation email was brief and didn’t give any hint of the coming violence.
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9:55 a.m.
Signs of the shooting that killed 12 people can still be seen at a complex of government buildings in Virginia Beach.
At one entrance to the municipal center stands a makeshift memorial made up of bouquets, flags, teddy bears and crosses bearing the names of the shooting’s victims. A small group of city employees were crying and hugging each other on Monday as they left flowers by one of the crosses.
Volunteers with comfort dogs were on hand.
A section of the compound is still blocked off by law enforcement vehicles and FBI personnel could be seen walking around.
Authorities say 12 people were killed and several others wounded when DeWayne Craddock opened fire inside the municipal building Friday afternoon. Craddock was an engineer with the city’s utilities department and was killed during a gunbattle with police.
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8:30 a.m.
A city official in Virginia Beach says the resignation email the gunman sent hours before the shooting at a municipal building was brief, unremarkable and didn’t contain anything that foreshadowed the upcoming violence that would kill 12 people.
City Communications Director Julie Hill says the resignation letter is now part of the investigation and must be cleared by detectives for public release.
Authorities say 12 people were killed and several others wounded when DeWayne Craddock opened fire inside the municipal building Friday afternoon. Craddock was an engineer with the city’s utilities department and was killed during a gunbattle with police.
Officials have given no indication why 40-year-old Craddock notified a superior of his intention to leave his job. City Manager Dave Hansen says he was an employee “in good standing.”
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