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U.S. NEWS Friday 14 June 2019

Virginia Beach tries to dispel “rumors” about mass shooting

By BEN FINLEY to interview 240 people, released Craddock’s two-
Associated Press but it also sought to rebut sentence, emailed resigna-
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Of- misinformation about a tion letter. The names of the
ficials in Virginia Beach tragedy that remains par- recipients were redacted.
pushed back on Thursday ticularly inscrutable and So was the time it was sent
against what they de- ripe for conjecture. on May 31.
scribed as “rumors, innu- City officials said police in- Craddock’s email gave
endo, conflicting theories vestigated a report that his two weeks’ notice, cit-
and speculation” about Craddock, 40, was being ing “personal reasons.” But
last month’s mass shooting “confrontational, argu- it offered no clues that he
in a municipal building. mentative and engaging was unhappy at work or
But police in this coastal in fights” before the ram- had held a grudge against
city of nearly half a million page. But officials said po- anyone.
people were also no closer lice have “not uncovered Since Craddock’s resigna-
to offering a possible mo- evidence corroborating tion letter was released,
tive behind the nation’s these allegations.” Nixon’s family has spoken In this June 2, 2019, file photo, a volunteer prepares to place
deadliest mass shooting in The city’s statement also about concerns they say crosses for victims of a mass shooting at a municipal building in
2019. And the family of one addressed what it said were Nixon had about Crad- Virginia Beach, Va., at a nearby makeshift memorial.
the 12 people who died is “suggestions” about one of dock. She “had written him Associated Press
demanding an indepen- the victims, Kate Nixon, an up in the past and thought le wrote. He added: “The Press, the city said Crad-
dent investigation. engineer who worked with he had a poor attitude,” shooter’s complete em- dock earned $83,283.20 a
Following days of relative Craddock. Kevin Martingayle, an at- ployment records should year. But the city withheld
quiet, the city released a Officials said Nixon did not torney for the family, wrote be released immediately nine performance reviews,
lengthy explanation for receive Craddock’s res- in an email to The Associ- as permitted by law, and citing exemptions for per-
where its investigation ignation email, which he ated Press. a comprehensive indepen- sonnel information.
stands nearly two weeks had sent on the day of “We don’t know if he was dent investigation should Police search warrants
after civil engineer De- the attack, and said Nixon facing discipline or termi- be pursued without further have also been sealed.
Wayne Craddock opened “was not a supervisor in the nation when he resigned, delay.” The records that the And Craddock’s 2017 di-
fire in the large city building shooter’s chain of com- but the resignation email city has released on Crad- vorce filings were about as
where he worked. mand.” he sent and reply he got dock have revealed little. boilerplate as his resigna-
The statement outlined po- The denial comes more suggest that something In response to a records re- tion letter, citing “irreconcil-
lice efforts, including plans than a week after the city was going on,” Martingay- quest from The Associated able” differences.q