During a Saturday morning news conference, Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen identified the 12 people killed in a mass shooting at the Municipal Center Complex the evening before.
All of the victims were city employees, except one person, a contractor who was at the building to get a permit.
Here are the names and faces of the victims.
Katherine A. Nixon Public Utilities – 10 years Engineer Virginia Beach |
Laquita C. Brown Public Works – 4.5 years Right of Way Agent Chesapeake |
Tara Welch Gallagher Public Works – 6 years Engineer Virginia Beach |
Mary Louise Gayle Public Works – 24 years Right of Way Agent Virginia Beach |
Alexander Mikhail Gusev Public Works – 9 years Right of Way Agent Virginia Beach |
Richard H. Nettleton Public Utilities – 28 years Engineer Norfolk |
Christopher Kelly Rapp Public Works – 11 months Engineer Powhatan |
Ryan Keith Cox Public Utilities – 12.5 years Account Clerk Virginia Beach |
Joshua O. Hardy Public Utilities- 4.5 years Engineering Technician Virginia Beach |
Michelle “Missy” Langer Public Utilities – 12 years Admin. Assistant Virginia Beach |
Robert “Bobby” Williams Public Utilities – 41 years Special Projects Coordinator Chesapeake |
Herbert “Bert” Snelling Contractor Virginia Beach |
“I’m still in shock,” said Virginia Beach’s Debra Wyman. “There are no words that can be put in that and honestly it didn’t cross my mind that somebody close would be hurt like that.”
Three years ago, Wyman tells 10 On Your Side she moved into a new home and quickly developed a friendship with the neighbor across the street. It took gunfire to tear them apart.
“You know, I knew she worked there it just didn’t occur to me building two,” Wyman added.
Wyman’s neighbor Missy Langer was an administrative assistant in Public Utilities for the past 12 years.
“I didn’t see her car there yesterday and I hadn’t seen it the night before,” Wyman said. “I assumed she went to visit her family out of state.”
Unfortunately Langer wasn’t out of town. She at work when a co-worker came into the building and started firing. She was one of 11 city employees that were killed.
Local contractor Bert Snelling was also killed in massacre.
Wyman can’t believe this happened especially to her friend.“She just got done redoing the inside of her house and the outside getting it ready for when she retires,” Wyman added.
Saturday, investigators continue to search for answers inside the building which is now the center of so much pain. Those answers won’t bring the loved ones back, but maybe can provide a bit of comfort moving forward.
“The world was robbed, because she is a sweet person,” Wyman added,