Title: Honoring the victims of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
This resolution mourns the deaths and celebrates the lives of the 12 victims who were killed in the shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center on May 31, 2019.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 428 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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;
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 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;
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
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) joins the Commonwealth of Virginia in mourning the 
        deaths and celebrating the lives of the 12 victims killed in 
        the Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting on May 31, 2019;
            (2) applauds the heroism, dedication, and compassion of the 
        police officers, first responders, and emergency medical 
        personnel who responded to the shooting and tended to the 
        wounded, in some cases risking their own lives while saving 
        others;
            (3) recognizes the strength of the Virginia Beach community 
        in coming together to show that this tragedy will not define 
        them; and
            (4) reaffirms its responsibility to find ways to prevent 
        more Americans from dying in acts of violence.
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