Virginia Beach Grieves Deaths of 12 Shooting Victims
Eleven of the victims were city employees, with tenures ranging from 11 months to more than 40 years; ‘They leave a void that we will never be able to fill’
The victims of Friday's shooting at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Va.
Photo:
/Associated Press
A grieving Virginia Beach, Va., woke up Saturday to learn the names of the 12 people gunned down by a longtime city employee who authorities say turned a municipal building into a sea of carnage.
Eleven of the victims were city employees, with tenures ranging from 11 months to more than 40 years. Many worked in the Public Utilities Department, the same department where suspected shooter DeWayne Craddock had worked as an engineer for about 15 years, according to police.
“They leave a void that we will never be able to fill,” City Manager Dave Hansen said at a morning news conference, adding that he had worked with many of the victims for years. A contractor who was going to file a permit was also killed, he said.
Four other people are being treated at area hospitals. Three were in critical condition and one was in fair condition, according to hospital officials. A police officer who was wearing a bulletproof vest when he was shot is in good condition, Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera said.
Virginia
Beach emergency-service employees, elected officials and others
attended a news conference to discuss Friday’s mass shooting.
Photo:
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Trump ordered flags at federal buildings to be flown
at half-staff to honor the victims, as he has done for other shootings.“Our nation grieves with those affected by the tragic shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia,” read a proclamation issued by the White House. “Americans unite in praying for God to comfort the injured and heal the wounded. May God be with the victims and bring aid and comfort to their families and friends.”
All indications are that the 40-year-old shooting suspect legally bought both .45 handguns used in Friday’s shooting, Special Agent Ashan Benedict, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Saturday. One handgun was purchased in 2016, the other in 2018, he said.
Those People Are All Gone Now
Laquita BrownTara Welch Gallagher
Mary Louise Gayle
Alexander Mikhail Gusev
Katherine Nixon
Richard Nettleton
Christopher Kelly Rapp
Ryan Keith Cox
Joshua Hardy
Michelle Langer
Robert Williams
Herbert Snelling
At least one of the handguns had a silencer on it, police said earlier, and officers recovered multiple empty extended magazines, which can hold more ammunition than standard clips.
The ATF official said two firearms were found at the suspected shooter’s home; one of those has been identified, and it was legally purchased.
Police officers responded within minutes of the first call from the municipal building Friday afternoon, Chief Cervera said. He said officers were able to respond quickly because the police department’s office is in a building 100 to 150 yards from where the shooting occurred.
“This was a long-term, large gunfight,” the chief said. “A long gunbattle means multiple, multiple shots were being fired by the suspect.”
He said victims were found on all three floors of the building, which houses the public-utilities and public-works departments.
Chief Cervera said police and other first responders in Virginia Beach trained as recently as March 30 for a large-scale incident like Friday’s.
A gunman opened fire at a municipal building in Virginia
Beach, Va., on Friday, killing 12 people. The city’s police chief and
others described the incident in which the shooter, a city employee who
had recently been fired, also died. Photo: AP
Responding officers had to immediately determine who was an escaping city employee and who was potentially a suspect.“Unlike when you see something like this in a choreographed TV or movie special, this is a very different environment,” he said. “You cannot replicate the intensity of an environment such as this.”
Officials shared little information about the suspected shooter or his motive. They didn’t comment on whether he had threatened any co-workers or faced disciplinary problems at work, citing the continuing investigation.
While some law-enforcement officials originally thought the shooting suspect had been fired, Chief Cervera said that wasn’t the case.
Chief Cervera said he was still employed by the city. “He had a security pass like all employees have and he was authorized to enter the building. Please keep in mind we live in a free, open society; citizens enter that building all the time,” he said.
Mr. Hansen said while entry corridors and public-service desks are open to the public, inner offices and conference rooms require a pass to gain access.
President Trump tweeted Saturday morning that he had spoken with and offered condolences to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Friday night, and the mayor of Virginia Beach Saturday morning. “The Federal Government is there, and will be, for whatever they may need. God bless the families and all!” he tweeted.
“We will not be defined by this horror. We are a city of resiliency and resolve,” Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer said.
Write to Scott Calvert at scott.calvert@wsj.com
WSJ opens select articles to reader conversation to promote thoughtful dialogue. See the 'Join the Conversation' area for stories open to conversation. For more information, please reference our community guidelines. Email feedback and questions to moderator@wsj.com.
The Patriot Conservative News Tea Party Network
liberalism + Socialism = Terrorism
Thanks for your Support
liberalism + Socialism = Terrorism
© All copyrights reserved By Patcnews
Naval Station's Gun Restrictions Didn't Stop Shooter but Did Stop Sailors from Arming Themselves
According to The Associated Press, three were killed and 12 more injured when an aviation student opened fire on his peers during a classroom training session.
The shooter, who has since been identified as Saudi Arabian national Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, was quickly neutralized — not by U.S. Armed Forces, but by two Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies during a standoff which ensued following law enforcement’s rapid response to the attack.
Why on earth would the sailors on base require local law enforcement response, you might ask?
The U.S. Navy says a second victim has died at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. The gunfire prompted a massive law enforcement response to the base, which was locked down. Three people are now dead including the shooter.
Saudi student opens fire at Florida Naval base, killing 3
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP)
— An aviation student from Saudi Arabia opened fire in a classroom at
the Naval Air Station Pensacola on Friday morning, killing three people
in an attack the Saudi government quickly condemned and that U.S.
officials were investigating for possible links to terrorism.
The assault, which ended when a sheriff’s deputy killed the attacker, was the second fatal shooting at a U.S. Navy base this week and prompted a massive law enforcement response and base lockdown.
Twelve
people were hurt in the attack, including the two sheriff’s deputies
who were the first to respond, Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan
said. One of the deputies was shot in the arm and the other in the knee,
and both were expected to recover, he said.
The
shooter was a member of the Saudi military who was in aviation training
at the base, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference.
DeSantis spokesman Helen Ferre later said the governor learned about the
shooter’s identity from briefings with FBI and military officials.
A
U.S. official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of
anonymity identified the shooter as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. The
official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The official
also said the FBI is examining social media posts and investigating
whether he acted alone or was connected to any broader group.
During
a news conference Friday night, the FBI declined to release the
shooter’s identity and wouldn’t comment on his possible motivations.
“There
are many reports circulating, but the FBI deals only in facts,” said
Rachel L. Rojas, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Jacksonville
Field Office. “This is still very much an active and ongoing
investigation.”
Earlier
Friday, two U.S. officials identified the student as a second
lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force, and said authorities were
investigating whether the attack was terrorism-related. They spoke on
condition of anonymity to disclose information that had not yet been
made public.
President
Donald Trump declined to say whether the shooting was
terrorism-related. Trump tweeted his condolences to the families of the
victims and noted that he had received a phone call from Saudi King
Salman.
He said
the king told him that “the Saudi people are greatly angered by the
barbaric actions of the shooter, and that this person in no way shape or
form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American
people.”
The
Saudi government offered condolences to the victims and their families
and said it would provide “full support” to U.S. authorities
investigating the shooting.
“The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the perpetrator of this
horrific attack does not represent the Saudi people whatsoever,” the
government said in a statement. “The American people are held in the
highest regard by the Saudi people.”
Vice
Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman noted on Twitter that he and many
Saudi military personnel have trained on U.S. military bases and gone
on to fight ‘’against terrorism and other threats’’ alongside American
forces. “Today’s tragic event is strongly condemned by everyone in Saudi
Arabia,’’ he said.
DeSantis said Saudi Arabia needed to be held to account for the attack.
“Obviously,
the government ... needs to make things better for these victims,” he
said. “I think they’re going to owe a debt here, given that this was one
of their individuals.”
A national security expert from the Heritage Foundation warned against making an immediate link to terrorism.
“If
there is some connection to terrorism, well, then, that’s that,”
Charles “Cully” Stimson said. “But let’s not assume that because he was a
Saudi national in their air force and he murdered our people, that he
is a terrorist.”
Stimson
said it was also possible that the shooter was “a disgruntled evil
individual who was mad because he wasn’t going to get his pilot wings,
or he wasn’t getting the qualification ratings that he wanted, or he had
a beef with somebody, or there was a girlfriend involved who slighted
him.”
Florida
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott issued a scathing statement calling the shooting an
act of terrorism “whether this individual was motivated by radical
Islam or was simply mentally unstable.”
Scott
added that it was “clear that we need to take steps to ensure that any
and all foreign nationals are scrutinized and vetted extensively before
being embedded with our American men and women in uniform.”
U.S.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement Friday that he was
“considering several steps to ensure the security of our military
installations and the safety of our service members and their families.”
He did not elaborate.
The
U.S. has long had a robust training program for Saudis, providing
assistance in the U.S. and in the kingdom. The shooting, however, shined
a spotlight on the two countries’ sometimes rocky relationship.
The
kingdom is still trying to recover from the killing last year of
Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in
Istanbul. Saudi intelligence officials and a forensic doctor killed and
dismembered Khashoggi on Oct. 2, 2018, just as his fiancée waited
outside the diplomatic mission.
One
of the Navy’s most historic and storied bases, Naval Air Station
Pensacola sprawls along the waterfront southwest of the city’s downtown
and dominates the economy of the surrounding area.
Part
of the base resembles a college campus, with buildings where 60,000
members of the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard train each year
in multiple fields of aviation. A couple hundred students from countries
outside the U.S. are also enrolled in training, said Base commander
Capt. Tim Kinsella.
The
base is also home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team, and
includes the National Naval Aviation Museum, a popular regional tourist
attraction.
Lucy
Samford, 31, said her husband, a Navy reservist and civilian worker on
the base, was about 500 yards (0.46 kilometers) from where the shooting
happened. She said she got a call from him a little after 7 a.m. and
“one of the first things out of his mouth was, ‘I love you. Tell the
kids I love them. I just want you to know there’s an active shooter on
base.’”
Her husband, whom she declined to identify, later told her he was OK.
All
of the shooting took place in one classroom and the shooter used a
handgun, authorities said. Weapons are not allowed on the base, which
Kinsella said would remain closed until further notice.
The
shooting is the second at a U.S. naval base this week. A sailor whose
submarine was docked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, opened fire on three
civilian employees Wednesday, killing two before taking his own life.
-—
Associated
Press reporters Lolita Baldor, Ben Fox and Mike Balsamo in Washington;
Jon Gambrell in Dubai; Tamara Lush in Tampa, Florida, and Freida Frisaro
in Miami contributed to this report.
Apparently, for the safety and security of the men and women who defend us, those same men and women are stripped of their Second Amendment rights in their day-to-day activities on-site.
In fact, “state issued ‘concealed weapons permits’ are not recognized on any Navy installation,” the policy order says.
Those who would like to bring a firearm on-site are required to cut through a sea of red tape in order to obtain the necessary approval.
“Prior to bringing a firearm onboard an installation, the owner must submit a letter to the installation commanding officer via his or her unit commanding officer,” the order indicates. “Upon approval by the installation commanding officer, the owner will be provided a card showing proof that he or she is authorized to carry a personal firearm.”
“Additionally, personnel who have firearms on board an installation are required to update their information cards annually.”
But even after doing so, that approved firearm is as good as a heavy rock for personal defense purposes, because it has to be transported “unloaded and secured with a trigger lock” with corresponding ammunition secured as far away as possible.
Why not just roll out the red carpet for those who wish to harm our men and women in uniform?
Why not just hang a big, fat sign at the security checkpoint of each and every stateside base that reads, “Greetings, our sailors are unarmed!”
Did you know?
Since 1950, 94 percent of mass public shootings occurred in gun-free zones.
Gun control does not equal less gun violence.
Since 1950, 94 percent of mass public shootings occurred in gun-free zones.
Gun control does not equal less gun violence.
But this is downright stupid.
We trust these men and women with our lives each and every day. They are our first line of defense against threats foreign and domestic.
And we don’t even trust them to conceal loaded firearms on base?
Worse yet, we don’t care enough about their safety in light of seven deadly active shooter incidents on stateside U.S. military bases in the last 19 years — four of which occurred this year alone, according to ABC News — to allow them an opportunity to defend themselves at their places of work?
Do we need any more evidence that gun-free-zone policies are failing to keep us safe as Americans?
According to left-wing fact-checker PolitiFact, whether you’re listening to pro-gun or anti-gun advocates, most analyses show that between 70 and 97 percent of mass shootings take place in gun-free zones.
Since the passage of policies like the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, mass shootings — particularly school shootings — have only increased.
And I hate to break it to the anti-gun advocates of the world, but if these policies aren’t keeping our combat-trained servicemen and servicewomen safe, they are never going to keep the citizens of heartland America safe.
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
U.S. Naval Academy graduate died relaying crucial information to first responders
PENSACOLA, Fla. – A young graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, whose dream was to become a pilot, is being hailed a hero after he reportedly related crucial information about the identity of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola shooter to first responders, despite having been shot several times, a family member revealed.
Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, was confirmed as one of the three victims who were killed Friday morning when Saudi national Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani opened fire on a flight training program for foreign military personnel, Adam Watson revealed in a Facebook post.
In an interview to air Sunday with Fox News’ Chris Wallace, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said all three victims were Americans. Two were members of the U.S. Navy, a senior Pentagon official told Fox News.
“Today has been the worst day of my life. My youngest brother gave his life for his country in a senseless shooting,” Watson’s post read.
“After being shot multiple times he made it outside and told the first response team where the shooter was and those details were invaluable. He died a hero and we are beyond proud but there is a [hole] in our hearts that can never be filled,” he added.
Today has been the worst day of my life. My youngest brother gave his life for his country in a senseless shooting. Joshua Kaleb Watson saved countless lives today with his own. After being shot multiple times he made it outside and told the first response team where the shooter was and those details were invaluable. He died a hero and we are beyond proud but there is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled. When we were little I gave Kaleb the name little post and it stuck. It eventually evolved into post and finally uncle post. Just wish I could talk to him one more time or wrestle with him one more time even though he could probably take me now. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers in this difficult time.
Watson’s father Benjamin told USA Today that
his son was the officer on deck at the time of the shooting and
sustained at least five gunshot wounds before being able to make it out
to relay important information about the shooter before succumbing to
his injuries.
“Heavily wounded, he made his way out to flag down first responders
and gave an accurate description of the shooter,” he told the outlet.
“He died serving his country.”
Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, was confirmed as one of the three victims who was killed Friday morning. (U.S. Navy)
Watson, a rifle team captain, was reportedly sent to NAS two weeks before the shooting for flight training. His family said his dream was to become a Navy pilot.
Watson died along with two other people, who have yet to be identified, when Alshamrani — armed with a handgun — opened fire on an unsuspecting classroom.
The suspect, who was killed by responding deputies, reportedly posted a short manifesto to Twitter in which he condemned the U.S. and Israel.
“I’m not against you for just being American, I don’t hate you because your freedoms, I hate you because every day you supporting, funding and committing crimes not only against Muslims but also humanity,” he wrote, according to an AFP report.
Twitter suspended the account but declined to comment further.
LLC 501C- 4 UCC 1-308.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Content
and Programming Copyright 2019 By Patcnews The Patriot Conservative
News Tea Party Network © LLC UCC 1-308.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT
PREJUDICE All copyrights reserved By Patcnews The Patriot Conservative
News Tea Party Network Copyright 2019 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials
herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be
reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast
without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter
or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the
content. © All Copyrights Reserved By Patcnews The Patriot Conservative
News Tea Party Network
No comments:
Post a Comment