Virginia Mass Shooting: 12 killed, Suspect gunned down

Virginia: A disgruntled public utility employee opened fire on co-workers at city offices in Virginia Beach here on Friday afternoon. The shootout resulted in the death of at least 12 people and wounding at least six others before he was fatally shot by police, authorities said.

Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera informed about the mass shooting in the coastal resort city but said the gunman “immediately and indiscriminately fired upon all the victims” after he entered the municipal building shortly after 4 pm.

“The suspect did shoot a police officer. The officers returned fire. The suspect is deceased,” Cervera said. A city spokesman later confirmed to Reuters by email that the gunman was shot by police and later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The officer hit was among six people who survived their injuries, and he was saved by his bullet-proof vest, Cervera said.

The bloodshed unfolded, according to Cervera, at Building Two of the municipal centre complex, a facility which houses the city’s public works and utilities next door to City Hall.

Arriving in town a short time after the carnage, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam said. “This is just a horrific day.”

In Washington, a White House spokesman said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the shooting and “continues to monitor the situation”.

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