VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Plans for creating a more permanent memorial for the mass shooting in Virginia Beach are in the works.
City staff will bring recommendations for the process to create a permanent memorial during the informal City Council meeting Sept. 15, according to a letter Friday to council from City Manager Patrick Duhaney.
“The planning process should involve careful listening, input and the final design/memorial should be a meaningful reflection of our victims’ families, our employees and the community,” the city manager wrote in a letter.
The shooting on May 31, 2019 in Building 2 at the Municipal Center left 12 people dead, most of whom were city employees. The shooting also left several people injured.
The gunman was killed by police.
According to Duhaney’s letter, Virginia Beach became a part of an informal national network of communities affected by tragedies similar to the mass shooting in Virginia Beach.
In the first few months after the shooting, the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime stepped in to help the city with technical assistance. That agency recommended the city begin preparation for the permanent memorial following the one-year remembrance.
The city staff have also been in communication with schools and government leaders, museum professionals and survivors across the country to get insight on procedures and learn from their challenges and successes.