VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Police were looking into a possible threat made against the Virginia Beach Municipal Center Thursday morning.
An emergency dispatch supervisor said that dispatchers received a call concerning the situation shortly after 10:30 a.m.
Acting City Manager Tom Leahy said the report was that an employee overheard another employee make a potential threat. Leahy said late Thursday morning that police had not found anything credible to the information they had. Leahy added there was no need to lock down buildings at the municipal center but said that the police department and the sheriff's office were providing heightened security "out of an abundance of caution."
The Virginia Beach Police Department released the following statement about the threat:
"We are currently working an “overheard comment” that was communicated to a city employee who interpreted it as a possible threat. That city employee then relayed the information to a Sheriff’s Deputy, who then contacted VBPD. We have identified the person who allegedly made the initial comment and are investigating. At this time there has been nothing found to substantiate a threat. Understandably, there is a heightened sense of concern for employees when they hear of such an investigation being conducted. The city manager sent out an email to all city employees to advise there has been no credibility linked to this threat at this time. We are investigating this thoroughly."
The report of the threat came the day before the eight-month anniversary of the mass shooting at the municipal center in which 12 people were killed.
The person responsible for the shooting on May 31, 2019, was a longtime city employee who also died that day.