Nearly a dozen people lost their lives on Friday afternoon after a gunman opened fire at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center in Virginia. The unnamed suspect has been described as a longtime and current employee of the city and "indiscriminately" took the lives of the innocent. Police have stated that at this time they haven't discovered a motive behind the shooting and are holding onto the suspect's identity.
The shooting occurred in Building 2 of the Center that holds offices including those of public works, communications, traffic engineering, and public utilities. As police entered the building, they exchanged fire with the suspect and the shooter was killed at the scene. The six survivors of the shooting were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. One person is reportedly being treated at a level one trauma center.
Mayor Bobby Dyer said, "This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach." Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam told reporters, "Our thoughts are for these victims and their families. And we're one with our law enforcement, our first responders, the hospital, and making sure that we're taking care of everybody right now."
People all over the world have shared their prayers and condolences to the victims and their families of this tragedy, including Pharrell Williams who recently hosted his "Something in the Water" festival in his hometown of Virginia Beach. "We are praying for our city, the lives that were lost, their families and everyone affected," Pharrell tweeted. "We are resilient. We will not only get through this but we’ll come out of this stronger than before we always do.#VIRGINIABEACH"