VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Tuesday marks three years since 12 people were fatally shot and four others were wounded by a city engineer inside Building 2 at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.
Those fatally wounded were Laquita C. Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher, Mary Louise Gayle, Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Joshua O. Hardy, Michelle “Missy” Langer, Richard H. Nettleton, Katherine A. Nixon, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Herbert “Bert” Snelling and Robert “Bobby” Williams
The city will hold a moment of silence at 4:06 p.m., the time of the first 911 call on May 31, 2019, and hold a remembrance ceremony Tuesday night at Mount Trashmore. It will be the first in-person gathering for the community since the days after the shooting, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The evening ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. There will be limited seating. Organizers recommend guests bring their own chairs.
State flags in Virginia will also be flown at half staff Tuesday, May 31, which is now officially recognized as Love for Virginia Beach Day.
There have also been events throughout May to commemorate the shooting.
In a statement Tuesday, Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) called the shooting a “selfish act of violence.”
“On the third anniversary of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting, we remember those we lost, the survivors, the heroes, and the families who live every day with immense pain. The terror and tragedy of that dark day shook our community to its core, and even though time continues to pass on, the loss remains with us every single day. May we all take time today to reflect and keep the memories alive of the 12 Coastal Virginians who we lost.”
WAVY will have a live look during the moment of silence later today and have more coverage coming up.