
Twelve people have died after a disgruntled long-time city worker stormed offices at Virginia Beach municipal center unleashing a hail of gunfire before cops fatally shot him.

The shooter, named as DeWayne Craddock, 40, by The Wall Street Journal, reportedly bought multiple firearms in recent weeks.

He is said to have engaged in a 'long term gun battle' with the first four officers on the scene after carrying out his massacre before being fatally shot by police on Friday afternoon.

The gunman is said to have shot one victim in his vehicle outside the building before continuing his rampage and killing people across all three floors of the offices. Four others were injured including a police officer.

He is said to have used a .45 caliber handgun complete with a surpressor and multiple extended magazines.

The shooting happened shortly after 4pm when the veteran employee of the Public Utilities Department entered a building in the city's Municipal Center, and 'immediately began to indiscriminately fire upon all of the victims,' Chief of Police James Cervera said. He did not reveal the gunman's identity.

An emotional Cervera added: 'We know who the suspect is. We have not been successful in notifying certain family members.

'We're gonna mention his name once and then he will be forever referred to as the suspect because our focus now is the dignity and respect for the victims in this case and to their families.'

Cervera said police officers 'immediately engaged with the suspect', adding: 'I can tell you that it was a long gun battle between those four officers and that suspect.'

Mayor Bobby Dyer called the massacre 'the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach. The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbors and colleagues. Today is Virginia Beach's darkest hour.'

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A longtime city employee opened fire in a municipal building in Virginia Beach on Friday, killing 12 people on three floors and sending terrified co-workers scrambling for cover before police shot and killed him following a 'long gun-battle,' authorities said

Four other people were wounded in the shooting, including a police officer whose bulletproof vest saved his life, said Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera. The city's visibly shaken mayor, Bobby Dyer, called it 'the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach'

The shooting happened shortly after 4 p.m. when the veteran employee of the Public Utilities Department entered a building in the city's Municipal Center, and 'immediately began to indiscriminately fire upon all of the victims,' Cervera said

Police entered the building and got out as many employees as they could, then exchanged fire with the suspect, who was armed with a .45 caliber handgun, the chief said

Police entered the building and got out as many employees as they could, then exchanged fire with the suspect, who was killed, the chief said

The shooting sent shock waves through Virginia Beach, the state’s largest city and a popular vacation spot in southeastern Virginia

Sources had told WAVY the injured officer is expected to survive and police chief Cevera confirmed he was saved by his bulletproof vest. He is reported to be a sergeant with department for more than ten years.

The shooter, who is said to have served in the Army National Guard as a private, 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 Friday just after the shooting.

Workers there are said to be in small offices with unlocked doors, open to the public, and along long hallways.

Officers entered the building, which houses around 400 workers, and got out as many employees as they could before exchanging fire with the suspect, who was then killed, the police chief said.

Cervera added: 'I want you to know that during this gun battle, basically the officers stopped this individual from committing more carnage in that building.'

Law enforcement had initially said the gunman shot and killed 11 people. Cervera later said one more died on the way to the hospital and that the city offices now resemble a 'war zone'.

Virginia Beach PD had earlier tweeted: 'ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION-municipal center, building 2. Multiple injuries. At this time it is believed that only 1 shooter, and they have been taken into custody. More to follow.

'Please avoid the municipal center area. PAO staging area is being set up at the ECCS center reference the Active Shooter incident.'

Apolice officer blocks an entrance to the Virginia Beach Municipal Center off of Princess Anne Road following the shooting Friday

Mayor Bobby Dyer called the shooting Virginia Beach's 'darkest hour'

The building where the attack took place is in a suburban complex miles away from the high-rise hotels along the beach and the downtown business area

Law enforcement officials work outside a municipal building that was the scene of a shooting, Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Virginia Beach

Princess Anne Courthouse Volunteer Rescue Squad, near the site of a mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA, 31 May 2019

A Virginia State Police vehicle blocks a roadway to a municipal building, seen at top left, that was the scene of a shooting, Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Virginia Beach, Va

The deadliest mass shootings in the United States in the last two years Feb. 15, 2019: Gary Martin killed five co-workers at a manufacturing plant in Aurora, Illinois, during a disciplinary meeting where he was fired. He wounded one other employee and five of the first police officers to arrive at the suburban Chicago plant before he was killed during a shootout police. Nov. 7, 2018: Ian David Long killed 12 people at a country music bar in Thousand Oaks, California, before taking his own life. Long was a Marine combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan. Oct. 27, 2018: Robert Bowers is accused of opening fire at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during Shabbat morning services, killing 11 and injuring others. It's the deadliest attack on Jews in the U.S. in history. June 28, 2018: Jarrod Ramos shot through the windows of the Capital Gazette offices in Annapolis, Maryland, before turning the weapon on employees there, killing five at The Capital newspaper. Authorities say Ramos had sent threatening letters to the newspaper prior to the attack. May 18, 2018: Dimitrios Pagourtzis began shooting during an art class at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. The 17-year-old killed eight students and two teachers and 13 others were wounded. Explosive were found at the school and off campus. Feb. 14, 2018: Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It surpassed Columbine High School as the deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history. Nov. 5, 2017: Devin Patrick Kelley, who had been discharged from the Air Force after a conviction for domestic violence, used an AR-style firearm to shoot up a congregation at a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing more than two dozen. Oct. 1, 2017: Stephen Paddock opened fire on an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip from the 32nd floor of a hotel-casino, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500. SWAT teams with explosives then stormed his room and found he had killed himself. Advertisement

And images from the scene showed a heavy police presence and workers crying and comforting one another as they were evacuated from the building.

Virginia governor Ralph Northam is at the scene. In a press conference he called the shooting 'senseless violence'.

'That they should be taken in this manner is the worst kind of tragedy,' the governor said during the Friday night news conference.

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed and was monitoring the situation.

Administrative assistant Megan Banton was in Building 2 and said workers barricaded themselves in offices and were told 'this is not a drill'.

She works in the building where the shooting happened and said called 911 when she heard gunshots.

Megan said: 'I have an 11-month old baby at home and all I could think about was him and trying to make it home to him.

'We tried to do everything we could to keep everybody safe. We were all just terrified. It felt like it wasn't real, like we were in a dream. You are just terrified because all you can hear is the gunshots.'

She said she texted her mom, telling her that there was an active shooter in the building and she and others were waiting for police. Banton works in an office of about 20 people that is part of the public works department.

'Thank God my baby is OK,' Banton's mother, Dana Showers, said.

Singer Pharrell Williams, who hails from Virginia Beach, tweeted: 'We are praying for our city, the lives that were lost, their families and everyone affected.

'We are resilient. We will not only get through this, but we'll come out of this stronger than before we always do.'

The shooter's neighbor Cassetty Howerin, 23, said she heard him awake at all hours.

She told WAVY: 'I’m petrified, because I live right under him so that could’ve been easily me, or my girlfriend, or my roommate. He seemed like a nice guy, he introduced himself when we first moved in, it’s just crazy.'

Police chief Jim Cevera, left, confirmed 12 people plus the gunman died in the shooting Friday. Virginia Beach Police Officers huddle near the intersection of Princess Anne Road and Nimmo Parkway, right, following the shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center

Police work the scene of the mass shooting at the Virginia Beach city public works building, Friday

Images from the scene showed a heavy police presence and workers crying and comforting one another as they were evacuated from the building

Virginia Beach Mayor Robert M. Dyer, right, lowers his head as he talks with other city and state officials, including Rep. Elaine Luria, in the aftermath of Friday's shooting

Virginia governor Ralph Northam, left, is at the scene. In a press conference he called the shooting 'senseless violence' and the 'worst kind of tragedy'

The shooting has sent shock waves through Virginia Beach, the state's largest city and a popular vacation spot in southeastern Virginia.

The building where the attack took place is in a suburban complex miles away from the high-rise hotels along the beach and the downtown business area.

City Councilman Michael Berlucchi confirmed the Virginia Beach Police Department had planned to hold active shooter training on Saturday.

Congresswoman Elaine Luria, who represents Virginia Beach, said in statement: 'This is a day that will change Virginia Beach forever.

'I grieve for those who lost their lives, their families, and everyone who loved them. I wish a speedy recovery to all who are injured, and I thank the first responders, medical personnel, and law enforcement for their invaluable bravery and service.

'Now is the time for healing, coming together, and determining ways to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.'

The shooter opened fire in Building 2 of the municipal center, which is adjacent to City Hall

Police tweeted there had been multiple injuries and the suspect has been taken into custody