Virginia Beach shooting: 12 killed after city worker opens fire at colleagues
At least 12 people were killed and several injured on Friday in a mass shooting at a government building in the US state of Virginia.
The suspect, described by officials as a disgruntled city employee in Virginia Beach, fired indiscriminately in a municipal building.
Advertisement
The gunman, identified by police as DeWayne Craddock, was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police.
Officials said an officer was wounded when a bullet struck his vest.
How did the shooting unfold?
The attack began shortly after 16:00 (20:00 GMT), at Virginia Beach Municipal Center, in an area which is home to a number of city government buildings. The area was put into lockdown by police and employees were evacuated.
"We just heard people yelling and screaming at people to get down," Megan Banton, an administrative assistant in the building, told local television news station WAVY.
One of the victims was shot outside in a car, and the rest were found over three floors of the government building.
Four officers entered the building and located the gunman inside and "immediately engaged" him, police chief James Cervera said. The attacker was then shot dead.
The police chief described the scene as a "war zone".
"I want you to know that during this gun battle, basically the officers stopped this individual from committing more carnage in that building," Mr Cervera said.
Police recovered a rifle and a handgun, thought to have been used by the suspect, at the scene.
