VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Documents shared with 10 On Your Side show that another member of the commission to investigate the May 31, 2019, mass shooting in Virginia Beach has resigned.
David Cariens sent a letter to Gov. Glenn Youngkin stating that he was resigning from the commission effective June 29, 2023.
In the letter, Cariens says there were several obstacles to the commission’s work and that he cannot be a part of a commission that, “engages in duplicity, half-truths, and excuses for the city and its elected officials and employees.”
Cariens attached a separate document titled “Minority Investigation Findings” alongside his resignation letter, in which he alleges that the commission was “set up to fail from the outset.” He also claims that having former mid and high-level Virginia Beach officials as members of the commission was a conflict of interest and that the City of Virginia Beach “attempted to control the investigation and some Commission members may have been duplicitous in this effort.”
This is yet another resignation that the commission has had to deal with. In December 2022, officials raised concerns after 10 of the 21 commission members resigned. 10 On Your Side obtained a copy of one of those 10 commission members, which also detailed the frustration, distrust and other obstacles believed to be occurring within the commission.
When WAVY asked Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares about the letter from the resigned commission member in Dec. 2022, he said concerns made in the letter were similar to those that family members have made.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
