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These are the city employees, contractor killed in Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting

Posted at 9:03 AM, Jun 01, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-02 00:12:38-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- One was a man who'd worked with Virginia Beach's public utilities department for 41 years. Another was a contractor who was just in the building to file for a permit.

Officials released the names Saturday of 12 people who were killed in Friday afternoon's shooting at Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.

All but one were employees of the city of Virginia Beach, City Manager Dave Hansen said.

The 12 slain were:

Laquita C. Brown

The Chesapeake resident was a right-of-way agent who worked 4½ years for Virginia Beach's public works department.

Tara Welch Gallagher

The Virginia Beach resident was an engineer who worked six years for the city's public works department.

Mary Louise Gayle

The Virginia Beach resident was a right-of-way agent who worked 24 years for the city's public works department.

Alexander Mikhail Gusev

The Virginia Beach resident was a right-of-way agent who worked nine years for the city's public works department.

Katherine A. Nixon

The Virginia Beach resident was an engineer who worked 10 years for the city's public utilities department.

Richard H. Nettleton

The Norfolk resident was an engineer who worked 28 years for Virginia Beach's public utilities department.

Christopher Kelly Rapp

The Powhatan resident was an engineer who had worked 11 months in Virginia Beach's public works department.

Members of Tidewater Pipes & Drums on Saturday remembered him in a Facebook post.

"Chris recently moved to Virginia Beach and immediately joined the band after learning how to play the bagpipes from our friends in the Greater Richmond Pipes & Drums," the post said. "He was quiet but had a passion for the pipes and Scottish culture."

"Peace be with his wife, Bessie, and their loved ones," the band members added.

Ryan Keith Cox

The Virginia Beach resident was an account clerk who worked 12½ years in the public utilities department.

His brother, Ervin, posted photos and remembered him on Facebook.

"My heart is hurting because my baby brother was murdered today by the shooter in Virginia Beach mass shooting," he wrote.

"I won't hears his beautiful singing voice at church or home anymore. I loved my brother and will truly miss his caring soul. Until we meet again in heaven."

Joshua O. Hardy

Hardy lived in Virginia Beach and worked as an engineering technician for 4½ years in the city's public utilities department.

Michelle 'Missy' Langer

The Virginia Beach resident was an administrative assistant who worked 12 years in the public utilities department.

Robert 'Bobby' Williams

The Chesapeake resident was a special projects coordinator who worked 41 years in Virginia Beach's public utilities department.

Herbert 'Bert' Snelling

The Virginia Beach resident was a contractor who was trying to fill a permit at the time of the shooting.

Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer told CNN that Snelling was a friend of his. He said he was devastated to learn on social media around midnight about his death.

"He started off as a carpenter that did work at (my) house, and then he became a friend. We socialized," Dyer said.

"He was just such a great guy. He was a consummate professional. He did great work. ... This really hits home with me."

They had met five years. A home repair job turned into happy hours and friendship. Their wives got together.

"It's just such a sense of loss and this didn't have to happen," he said.

Hansen told reporters Saturday that he'd worked with most of the slain, and that he'd served in the US military with Nettleton in Germany.

"They leave a void that we will never be able to fill," the city manager said.

Depend on WTVR.com and CBS 6 News for complete coverage of this developing story. Check back with WTVR.com and watch CBS 6 News for updates. 

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.

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