IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 428 

Honoring the victims of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 5, 2019 

Mrs. LURIA (for herself, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. MCEACHIN, Ms. 

SPANBERGER, Mr. WITTMAN, Ms. WEXTON, Mr. RIGGLEMAN, Mr. GRIFFITH, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. BEYER, and Mr. CLINE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and 

Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the victims of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, 

Virginia. 

Whereas, on Friday, May 31, 2019, 12 people were killed in 

a mass shooting at the Municipal Center in Virginia 

Beach, Virginia; 

Whereas 11 of 12 victims were employees of the city of Virginia Beach with over 150 years of service to the city collectively, and one was a contractor who had come to the 

Municipal Center for business; 

Whereas Laquita C. Brown, a four-year employee in the city 

of Virginia Beach Public Works Department known for 

her love of travel with friends and ability to light up a 

room with her presence, was murdered in the shooting; 


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Whereas Ryan Keith Cox, a 12-year employee in the city of 

Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department known for his 

kindness and beautiful singing voice, and who ran into 

danger looking for more people to save after ensuring his 

coworkers were sheltered in a barricaded room, was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Tara Welch Gallagher, a six-year employee in the 

city of Virginia Beach Public Works Department who 

worked as an engineer to provide clean drinking water for 

her community, was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Mary Louise Gayle, a 24-year employee in the city 

of Virginia Beach Public Works Department who was 

known as a cheerful coworker and devoted mother and 

grandmother, was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Alexander Mikhail Gusev, a nine-year employee in 

the city of Virginia Beach Public Works Department who 

emigrated to Virginia Beach from Belarus to find a better life and who was known as a generous and devoted 

coworker, friend, brother, and uncle, was murdered in the 

shooting; 

Whereas Joshua O. Hardy, a four-year employee in the city 

of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department known for 

his kindhearted nature and love for his family and faith, 

was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Michelle ‘‘Missy’’ Langer, a 12-year employee in the 

city of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department who 

was known for her beaming smile and passion for the 

Pittsburgh Steelers, and who had plans to retire soon, 

was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Richard H. Nettleton, a 28-year employee in the 

city of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department who 


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was a selfless leader in regional utility system planning 

and was a veteran of the Army’s 130th Engineer Brigade, was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Katherine A. Nixon, a 10-year employee in the city 

of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department who was 

known for her intellect and who was a loving wife and 

mother of 3 children, was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Christopher Kelly Rapp, an 11-month employee in 

the city of Virginia Beach Public Works Department, 

who was known for his kindness, his passion for playing 

the bagpipes, and his devotion to his wife, was murdered 

in the shooting; 

Whereas Herbert ‘‘Bert’’ Snelling, a contractor who had 

come to the Municipal Center to get a permit and who 

was celebrating his 38th wedding anniversary, was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas Robert ‘‘Bobby’’ Williams, a 41-year employee in 

the city of Virginia Beach Public Utilities Department, 

who was awarded with eight service awards in recognition 

of his lifetime of devoted work and who was planning on 

retiring later in the year to spend more time with his 

family, was murdered in the shooting; 

Whereas the actions of those city employees who alerted their 

coworkers to danger and pulled them into shelter saved 

an unknowable number of lives; 

Whereas police officers responded within minutes of the first 

reports of shooting, heroically risking their lives by running into the line of fire; 

Whereas 1 police officer was shot while confronting the gunman and survived thanks only to his bulletproof vest; 


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Whereas those who were present at or responded to the scene 

of the shooting encountered a ‘‘war zone’’ of horrific violence that will be forever seared into their memories; 

Whereas mental health providers, counselors, and faith leaders have tended to the invisible wounds of the shooting, 

and will continue to do so for decades to come; 

Whereas Virginia Beach Chief of Police James Cervera, 

Mayor Bobby Dyer, and City Manager David Hansen 

have led their community through its darkest hour with 

courage, dignity, professionalism, and compassion; and 

Whereas, within hours of the shooting, the residents of Virginia Beach had come together in an outpouring of support for those affected, showing the resiliency of love in 

the face of evil: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) joins the Commonwealth of Virginia in 

3 mourning the deaths and celebrating the lives of the 

4 12 victims killed in the Virginia Beach Municipal 

5 Center shooting on May 31, 2019; 

6 (2) applauds the heroism, dedication, and com7 passion of the police officers, first responders, and 

8 emergency medical personnel who responded to the 

9 shooting and tended to the wounded, in some cases 

10 risking their own lives while saving others; 

11 (3) recognizes the strength of the Virginia 

12 Beach community in coming together to show that 

13 this tragedy will not define them; and 


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1 (4) reaffirms its responsibility to find ways to 

2 prevent more Americans from dying in acts of vio3 lence. 

Æ 


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