June 1, 2019 Virginia Beach authorities identified the gunman in Friday’s shooting attack as a long time city employee in the public utilities department. As an engineer for the city, the shooter possessed a security pass that allowed him access to nonpublic areas of the municipal building.
Virginia Beach City Manager, Dave Hansen said during a press conference on Saturday that DeWayne Craddock, 40, an engineer in the city public utilities department for 15 years.
“He was still employed,” Hansen said. “He had a security pass like all employees have and he was authorized to enter that building.”
During a press conference on Saturday, police chief James Cervera said Craddock was armed with a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol equipped with a sound suppressor and several high-capacity magazines, and he shot people on all three floors of the building. All of the guns and ammunition were purchased legally.
Virginia Beach authorities are still searching for a motive for Friday’s shooting.
According to a Washington based Gun Violence Archive monitoring group, Friday’s shooting was the 150th mass shooting — with four or more people shot or killed in the United States this year.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Insider Threat Mitigation Program was established to help businesses and organizations prepare for and mitigate insider threats.
“Insider threats can be current or former employees, partners, contractors, or family and friends. Regardless of the actor, it is important for organizations to establish an insider threat program that can detect, deter, and prevent insiders from causing harm.”