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Committee discusses location for 5/31 Virginia Beach permanent memorial

The 5/31 Memorial Planning Committee is meeting to discuss a permanent memorial for those killed in the 2019 mass shooting in Virginia Beach.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — On Wednesday, the second 5/31 Memorial Planning Committee is taking place at The Hive in Virginia Beach's Town Center.

Over the past two years, memorials and remembrance ceremonies have been held all across Hampton Roads, honoring the victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting that happened on May 31, 2019.

But now, the community and city leaders are coming up with a permanent memorial.

RELATED: 5/31 Memorial Committee: First meeting on creating permanent memorial for Virginia Beach mass shooting victims and survivors

“My wish for you is healing and that we can move together as a community to make that happen," said 5/31 Memorial Planning Committee member Tara Reel. 

Reel said she worked alongside many of the people who died in building two. Her voice can help bring comfort in finding a permanent spot to remember the victims and survivors.

“Because this memorial is for those folks that we lost. It’s for the survivors and it’s for the families and the community at large. So getting what that looks like, getting that right is very important," said Reel. 

The committee members looked over eight potential sites, including the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, Princess Anne Commons Gateway Park, Beach Garden Park, and Williams Recreation Center.

“I think we’re still very much in that conversational stage. We’re going until, I believe, May. So I think by the end of that, there might be some more guidance as to the direction to the memorial, but also I think the stakeholder feedback is going to be really important," said Reel. 

The 5/31 Memorial Planning Committee is meeting until 9 p.m. and is open to the public.

They will meet on Thursday and tour some of the sites. The public is allowed to follow along on the tour. Anyone who wants to join should meet at The Hive in Virginia Beach Town Center by 2 p.m. 

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