Staff Reports
Gov. Ron DeSantis directed all state and local buildings fly flags at half-staff to memorialize victims of the Virginia Beach mass shooting.
The memorandum, issued by DeSantis, comes after similar direction from President Donald Trump that the United States flag is flown at half-staff across the country.
The decision to lower flags followed Friday’s tragedy where 12 people were killed in a city building when a disgruntled municipal employee opened fire on co-workers.
The gunman, DeWayne Craddock, shot one person in the parking lot and then entered the building killing 11 more before dying in a shootout with police.
Virginia authorities are still seeking a motive.
The victims being memorialized are Laquita Brown, Ryan Keith Cox, Tara Welch Gallagher, Mary Louise Gayle, Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Joshua Hardy, Michelle ‘Missy’ Langer, Katherine Nixon, Richard Nettleton, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Herbert ‘Bert’ Snelling and Robert ‘Bobby’ Williams.
There have been 175 mass shootings recorded in the United States this year.
DeSantis said in a statement: “As a mark of respect for the memory of those affected, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida. The flag shall be lowered immediately and remain at half-staff until the expiration of President Donald J. Trump’s national directive of sunset on Tuesday, June 4, 2019.”
