DeWayne Craddock and the 2019 Virginia Beach Municipal Center Massacre
Background
DeWayne Antonio Craddock was a 40-year-old civil engineer employed by the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia. On May 31, 2019, he carried out a mass shooting at Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, located at 2405 Courthouse Drive in the Princess Anne area of the city. Craddock murdered 12 people and wounded four others before he was fatally shot during a prolonged confrontation with responding police officers.
Craddock had studied civil engineering at Old Dominion University and previously served in the Virginia Army National Guard. He began working for the Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities in the mid-2000s and spent many years managing engineering projects involving municipal water and sewer systems. He had no significant criminal history and had legally purchased the firearms later connected to the attack.
Events Before the Shooting
Craddock arrived at the municipal center during the morning of Friday, May 31, 2019, and initially appeared to follow his normal work routine. Investigators later determined that he searched online for maps of Building 2 and the surrounding municipal complex at approximately 10:00 a.m. At 10:31 a.m., he emailed a resignation letter to his supervisors. The resignation was accepted shortly afterward, although his departure was not intended to take effect immediately.
During the afternoon, Craddock traveled to several work sites with two coworkers before returning to Building 2 shortly before 3:30 p.m. At approximately 3:55 p.m., only minutes before the violence began, he sent a routine work-related email. Nothing in the wording of his resignation or final workplace communications directly announced his intention to commit an attack.
The Attack at Building 2
The shooting began at approximately 4:08 p.m. on May 31, 2019. Craddock first opened fire outside Building 2, killing a victim seated inside a vehicle in the parking area. He then shot another person near the entrance before entering the municipal office building.
Building 2 contained offices for the city’s public utilities, public works and planning departments. Craddock retained an employee identification badge that allowed him to pass through secured doors and enter work areas that were inaccessible to members of the general public. Once inside, he moved through offices, corridors and stairways on all three floors while shooting employees.
The building was undergoing renovations, and some workers initially mistook the gunfire for construction noise or the sound of a nail gun. Others received telephone calls, text messages or verbal warnings instructing them to hide or evacuate. Employees barricaded office doors, hid beneath desks and attempted to escape through windows and stairwells as the attack continued.
Investigators concluded that Craddock fired at people in different sections of the building rather than remaining in one location. Eleven of those killed were City of Virginia Beach employees. The twelfth victim was a private contractor who had entered the building on city-related business. Four additional people suffered gunshot wounds but survived.
Victims Murdered on May 31, 2019
- Laquita C. Brown, 39 — Brown lived in Chesapeake, Virginia, and worked as a right-of-way agent for the Virginia Beach Department of Public Works. She had served the city for approximately four years. She was killed at or near Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center on May 31, 2019.
- Tara Welch Gallagher, 49 — Gallagher lived in Virginia Beach and was an engineer with the Department of Public Works. She had worked for the city for approximately six years. She was murdered inside the municipal center complex on May 31, 2019.
- Mary Louise Gayle, 65 — Gayle was a Virginia Beach resident and a right-of-way agent for the Department of Public Works. She had approximately 24 years of service with the city. She was killed during the attack at Building 2 on May 31, 2019.
- Alexander Mikhail Gusev, 35 — Gusev lived in Virginia Beach and worked as a right-of-way agent for the Department of Public Works. He had been employed by the city for approximately nine years. He was murdered at the municipal center on May 31, 2019.
- Katherine Ann “Kate” Nixon, 42 — Nixon was a Virginia Beach resident, wife and mother who worked as an engineer in the Department of Public Utilities. She had served the city for approximately 10 years. She was killed inside Building 2 on May 31, 2019.
- Ryan Keith Cox, 50 — Cox lived in Virginia Beach and worked as an account clerk in the Department of Public Utilities. He had more than 12 years of city service. During the attack, Cox reportedly attempted to help coworkers find safety before he was killed.
- Joshua O. Hardy, 52 — Hardy was a Virginia Beach resident and an engineering technician with the Department of Public Utilities. He had worked for the city for approximately four years. He was murdered in Building 2 on May 31, 2019.
- Michelle “Missy” Langer, 60 — Langer lived in Virginia Beach and worked as an administrative assistant in the Department of Public Utilities. She had approximately 12 years of service with the city. She was killed during the shooting at the municipal center.
- Richard H. Nettleton, 55 — Nettleton lived in Norfolk, Virginia, and was an engineer with the Department of Public Utilities. He had served the city for approximately 28 years. He was murdered inside Building 2 on May 31, 2019.
- Christopher Kelly Rapp, 42 — Rapp lived in Powhatan, Virginia, and had worked as an engineer with the Department of Public Works for approximately 11 months. He was also known for playing bagpipes with the Tidewater Pipes and Drums band. He was killed at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center on May 31, 2019.
- Herbert “Bert” Snelling, 57 — Snelling lived in Virginia Beach and was a private contractor visiting the municipal building to conduct business involving a permit. He was the only murder victim who was not a city employee. He was shot outside the building while seated in his vehicle.
- Robert “Bobby” Williams, 69 — Williams lived in Chesapeake and worked as a special projects coordinator for the Department of Public Utilities. He had served the City of Virginia Beach for approximately 41 years, making him the longest-serving city employee among the victims. He was murdered during the attack on May 31, 2019.
Police Response and Gunfight
Virginia Beach police officers entered Building 2 while the shooting remained active. Secured electronic doors complicated their movement through portions of the building because access badges were required to enter certain employee areas. Officers moved toward the sound of gunfire while helping injured and trapped employees escape.
Craddock confronted officers inside the building and exchanged gunfire with them. One officer was struck, but the bullet was stopped by the officer’s ballistic vest. The confrontation continued through offices and hallways before Craddock was shot multiple times by police. Officers took him into custody and attempted to provide medical treatment, but he died at the scene.
The active phase of the incident lasted approximately 36 minutes, ending at about 4:44 p.m. Police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel searched the building, treated survivors and transported wounded victims to hospitals. Federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, assisted local authorities.
Weapons and Preparation
Craddock carried .45-caliber semiautomatic pistols, large quantities of ammunition and extended magazines. One of the firearms was an Heckler & Koch USP Compact Tactical pistol equipped with a sound suppressor. A Glock 21 pistol was also connected to the attack. Investigators determined that the firearms and suppressor had been purchased legally.
Craddock wore body armor and carried enough ammunition to sustain an extended attack. Additional firearms were recovered during a search of his residence. The equipment, ammunition and earlier searches for maps of the municipal complex indicated that the shooting was planned rather than being an entirely spontaneous act.
Investigation of the Motive
Investigators conducted hundreds of interviews, examined Craddock’s electronic devices and reviewed his employment history, finances and personal relationships. They found evidence that he believed he was experiencing workplace problems and had become increasingly dissatisfied with aspects of his employment. The FBI ultimately described perceived workplace grievances as an important factor in his decision to attack.
However, authorities did not identify a single event that fully explained the massacre. Craddock’s resignation email was professional in tone, and city officials initially stated that he had no active disciplinary case when he resigned. Investigators also found no manifesto or direct explanation identifying every person he intended to kill.
Some victims’ relatives and coworkers reported that tensions existed within the workplace and questioned whether warning signs had been overlooked. Independent reviews examined the city’s workplace culture, security procedures and handling of employee complaints. Despite extensive investigation, Craddock’s complete personal reasoning remained unknown because he died without providing an explanation.
Aftermath and Remembrance
The Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting became one of the deadliest workplace attacks in United States history. The 11 murdered city employees represented approximately 150 combined years of public service. Vigils, memorial ceremonies and funerals were held throughout Virginia Beach and surrounding communities.
City officials emphasized the identities and contributions of the victims rather than focusing public attention on Craddock. Building 2 remained closed for an extended period, and the city reviewed security, emergency communications, employee access and active-shooter procedures. The phrase “VB Strong” became a community expression of remembrance and solidarity.
The massacre left 12 families grieving and many survivors coping with lasting physical and emotional injuries. May 31 remains a day of remembrance in Virginia Beach for Laquita Brown, Tara Gallagher, Mary Gayle, Alexander Gusev, Katherine Nixon, Ryan Cox, Joshua Hardy, Michelle Langer, Richard Nettleton, Christopher Rapp, Herbert Snelling and Robert Williams.
