Police Chief James Cervera says a shooter opened fire and shot “indiscriminately” at workers inside the Virginia Beach Municipal Building Friday afternoon.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Police say 11 people have been killed and six others injured in a mass shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach.
Police Chief James Cervera said Friday that a shooter opened fire and shot “indiscriminately” at workers inside an operations building in the Virginia Beach Municipal Building Friday afternoon.
Cervera said police returned fire, killing the suspect. He said the suspect was a longtime employee of the city’s Public Works Department. One of the people shot is a police officer.
Sentara Healthcare tweeted that five patients were being treated at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital and a sixth was being transferred to the Trauma Center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
A police spokesman told The Virginian-Pilot that the shooter opened fire in Building 2 of the municipal center, which is adjacent to City Hall. The building houses the city’s public works, public utilities and planning departments, according to City Councilwoman Barbara Henley, who arrived at City Hall building about 4 p.m. Friday when she saw a crowd of people standing outside.
”Somebody told me there had been a shooting and they were told to leave. Afterward, I heard a loud male voice say, ‘Get down!’ so I did,” Henley told The Associated Press.
”When the person said to get down, then everybody dispersed pretty quickly,” she said.
”I’m just sick,” she said. “All these people that I work with all the time. They are such really fine people, and I just hope they’re all safe.”
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
