At least 12 people were killed after a gunman opened fire at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Virginia, police chief James Cervera told reporters on Friday, May 31.
One of the victims died on way to the hospital.
The shooter is dead, Cervera said.
Police said the shooter used a .45-caliber handgun with a suppressor.
Six people were hospitalized after a shooting at a municipal center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, hospital officials had tweeted on May 31.
Virginia Beach General Hospital said there were five patients there. A patient who was at Princess Anne Hospital was being transferred to Norfolk General Hospital, a Level I trauma center.
It was unclear whether all six patients had gunshot wounds and whether the shooter was among the patients.
Virginia Beach Police said earlier they had taken a shooter into custody.
Police also said there were multiple injuries but didn’t describe the severity of those injuries.
Christina Pullen, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Norfolk, said the bureau is responding to assist Virginia Beach police.
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.”
