VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — One day and one building still carry so much weight for one community.
On May 31, 2019, a gunman killed 12 people at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, forever changing the city and the Hampton Roads region.
Tuesday afternoon, city council members listened to a 5/31 recovery update, providing the latest snapshot of the changes made throughout the city since that day.
5/31 Permanent Memorial
"It does carry a gravity, a level of seriousness I think each member of council and certainly I feel, each time these discussions occur," Councilman Michael Berlucchi said, one of two council members alongside Sabrina Wooten to serve on the newly formed 5/31 Memorial Committee.
The committee will help facilitate the creation of a permanent memorial to honor the victims, families and first responders from that day, and consists of the following roles:
- 2 city council members
- At least 2 architecture design professionals
- At least 1 mental health professional
- 3 members of the general public (at least 2 of whom are directly affected by the 5/31 shooting)
- 1 representative from the Historic Preservation Commission
- Family & survivor liaison (the consulting firm Kearns & West)
Applications for the committee are due November 1 and include multiple spots for the general public.
VB Strong Center
Despite the hardships of the pandemic, the VB Strong Center gave the most updated services it offers to families impacted by the shooting, including case management & 1-to-1 support, psychoeducational classes, and first responder services.
Human Resources
The city presentation shared updates on how the city now looks to respond to complaints and allegations, including the newly created reporting platform R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
One presenter shared how the FBI found it is highly unlikely law enforcement will be present when a shooting begins.
OEM Security Division
Mike Freeman, the New Security Program Manager, shared how FBI research found it is 'highly unlikely' law enforcement will be present at the time of a shooting.
He says that's why communities need to be prepared beforehand, and outlined immediate goals he'd like to accomplish such as security risk assessments & workforce perceptions, building Security Division staffing, and establishing security incident response and reporting process.
“Getting out of a building, we need to practice that. It’s all words on a page until we say 'Hey tomorrow 1 p.m. we’re going to do an exercise,'" Freeman told the city council.