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Victims of Virginia Beach mass shooting identified

Victims of Virginia Beach mass shooting identified

Victims of Virginia Beach mass shooting identified

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Officials have identified the victims killed in a mass shooting at a Virginia Beach municipal building. 

All but one of the victims worked for the City of Virginia Beach. 

Authorities used a Saturday morning news conference to focus on the victims. They projected photos on a screen and gave each victim’s name along with biographical details.

“Today we all grieve. This morning I have the responsibility to inform friends, coworkers and the public of those who lost their lives yesterday. All but one of the 12 victims were employees of the City of Virginia Beach. I have worked with most of them for many years. We want you to know who they were so in the days and weeks to come you will know what they meant to all of us,” said Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen. “They leave a void we will never be able to fill.”

The victims in Friday’s shooting have been identified as: 

  • Laquita C. Brown – Worked as a right-of-way agent with the Public Works Dept. for four and a half years
  • Tara Welch Gallagher – Worked as an engineer with the Public Works Dept. for six years
  • Mary Louis Gayle – Worked as a right-of-way agent with the Public Works Dept. for more than 24 years
  • Alexander Mikhail – Worked as a right-of-way agent with the Public Works Dept. for more than nine years
  • Katherine Nixon – Worked as an engineer with the Public Utilities Dept. for more than 10 years
  • Richard Nettleton – Worked as an engineer with the Public Utilities Dept. for 28 years
  • Christopher Kelly Rapp – Worked as an engineer with the Public Utilities Dept. for 11 months
  • Ryan Keith Cox – Worked as an account clerk with the Public Utilities Dept. for 12.5 years
  • Joshua Hardy – Worked as an engineering technician with the Public Utilities Dept. for four and a half years
  • Michelle “Missy” Langer – Worked as an administrative assistant with the Public Utilities Dept. for 12 years
  • Robert “Bobby” Williams – Worked as a special projects coordinator with the Public Utilities Dept. for 41 years
  • Herbert “Bert” Snelling – Worked as a contractor and lived in Virginia Beach

Officials also identified the gunman who killed 12 people and then was shot by officers as Dewayne Craddock.

Officials identified Craddock for the first time after talking about the victims. They say they will name Craddock only once, then will not refer to him again.