Report On Virginia Mass Shooting Recommends More Police Training, Victim Funds

NORFOLK, Wash. (AP) - A state commission has called for several changes in how Virginia and its communities respond to mass shootings, from providing funding to victims to educating citizens about how to slow bleeding before paramedics arrive.

But the commission's final report on the 2019 mass shooting at a government building in Virginia Beach contained little new or overt criticism of how it handled the massacre.

A city engineer killed twelve people and wounded four before being killed by the police. The shooter, DeWayne Craddock, had legally purchased six guns in the three years before the attack, including the two .45-caliber handguns that were used, authorities said.

The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit determined in 2021 that the shooting was "motivated by workplace complaints." However, the agency has warned that it has not been able to "identify the combination of behaviors that may have preceded the attack" by any individual or group.

Ahead of its release this week, some of the victims' families saw the commission's latest report as their last chance to file a report. They argued that supervisors in Craddock's office failed to recognize the warning signs of a toxic workplace.

Instead, the document includes recommendations for state lawmakers to better prevent and respond to future violence, including in government workplaces.

For example, the commission said states should require local governments to develop emergency response plans, and first responders should have access to all parts of all government buildings. In 2019, Virginia Beach police were sometimes unable to deal with the shooting because they didn't have tickets to enter the second floor.

This report recognizes the limitations of the Commission as an investigative body. Obstacles include the lack of authority to call on city staff and the lack of adequate funding.

The report said the commission investigating the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre had a budget of $460,000 and eight volunteer attorneys. The Virginia Beach Commission has no volunteer attorneys and a budget of $38,500.

The panel "does not respond to psychological, security, human resources consultants or to bring in attorneys with expertise in mass shootings," the report said.

The committee initially had 21 members, and scheduling problems and meeting cancellations caused it. Virginia's attorney general criticized the board in December for its "severe dysfunction" and the resignation of nearly half of its members.

Commission Chairman Ryant Washington did not immediately respond to a LinkedIn message seeking comment.

Commission member David Kariens, who resigned before the final report was published, said the commission had failed.

"He said the Legislature should do an investigation," said Cariens, who resigned on the grounds, among other things, that the commission lacked investigative authority. "Production is not research. This is a college essay.

James Alan Fox, a professor of criminology, law and public policy at Northeastern University, said that contrary to reports after other mass shootings, the Virginia Beach document does not address gun restrictions.

"They don't look at whether Virginia's gun laws are appropriate," said Fox, who maintains a database of mass shootings by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.

"States that ban high-capacity magazines have far fewer victims," ​​Fox added, noting that Virginia has no such restrictions.

Much of the 16-page report focuses on the need for better training and planning for police, paramedics and city workers.

For example, it urged states to fund first responder training "on the emotional complexities of surviving mass shootings."

"Survivors and families of the Virginia Beach mass shooting reported that families and survivors were abused," the report said.

The commission said the country should also consider establishing a mass violence fund to provide medical aid to victims. Local governments also need to improve their knowledge of how to slow blood loss. The report refers to a federal training program, "Help You Until Help Comes."

Jason Nixon, whose wife Kate was killed in the shooting, hopes the commission will hold Virginia Beach city officials accountable for what he calls a toxic workplace.

"There's some good stuff in there that could help other families in the future," she said. "But the overall purpose of the investigation is to ensure accountability."

A spokeswoman for the City of Virginia Beach, Tiffany Russell, said her party was still reviewing the report. However, he said he would evaluate the recommendations and decide what action to take.

In January 2021, the city's human resources department implemented a centralized system "to track potential workplace violence incidents and investigate complaints," Russell said. No such system was in place when the shooting occurred on May 31, 2019.

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