Two people have been killed and at least eight people have been injured following multiple shootings near the oceanfront in Virginia Beach.

As reported by CNN, the Virginia Beach Police Department has confirmed at a press briefing on Saturday that eight shooting victims had been found at "the original crime scene" near 20th Street and Atlantic Avenue shortly after 11:00PM on Friday night.

Chief Paul Neudigate then added that while investigating that first shooting, more shots were fired roughly a block away, near 20th Street and Pacific Avenue.

Officials from the police department took to Twitter to warn the public to stay clear of the area.

This second shooting led to an individual "being confronted by a uniform Virginia Beach police officer," who shot and killed the person in what Neudigate called a "police intervention shooting".

A second person - "an adult female", per the release notes - was also killed at a nearby third shooting, Neudigate confirmed, adding that police were investigating, but that the third shooting does not appear to be related to the first two.

A Virginia Beach police officer has also been taken to a nearby hospital after being hit by a car. Their injuries are reportedly non-life-threatening.

Neudigate told reporters earlier today: "What you can see is we have a very chaotic incident, a very chaotic night in the Beach. Many different crime scenes."

Regarding the eight people who have been taken to local hospitals with gunshot wounds, the VBPD states on their official website that "some of these injuries range from serious to life-threatening".

CNN reports that no arrests have been made yet. Additionally, no motive for the shootings has been given.

These incidents come after President Biden called on Congress to ban the sale of assault weapons, in the aftermath of the recent shootings in Boulder, Colorado, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to call Virginia Beach Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887).

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A longtime public utilities employee opened fire at the Virginia Beach municipal building Friday afternoon, killing 11 people and injuring six others, police chief James Cervera told reporters, per CNN. One of the 11 victims was a police officer.

Authorities confirmed that the suspect died in a gunfight with police said they believe there was only one shooter. A law enforcement official said a semi-automatic pistol and rifle were found at the scene.

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Police responded to an active shooter situation shortly before 4pm, when the city employee entered Building 2 of the municipal center and fired “indiscriminately” at the victims, Cervera said. Officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter, and one cop was fatally wounded.

Virginia Beach General Hospital reported they were treating five patients. A sixth patient was treated at Princess Anne Hospital, then airlifted to Norfolk General Hospital, a Level I trauma center. Authorities did not not disclose the extent of the victims' injuries.

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The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are assisting Virginia State Police with the investigation. "Right now we have a lot of questions. The whys, they will come later," Cervera told reporters. "Right now we have more questions really than we have answers."

"This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," Mayor Bobby Dyer said during a press conference, per BuzzFeed News. "The people involved are our friends coworkers, neighbors, colleagues."

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"I never thought this would happen in my building," said Arthur Felton, a 18-year employee in the planning department, while speaking with the Virginian-Pilot. "The people who were shot - I’m sure I know most of them." Felton told the outlet he evacuated the building upon hearing gunshots.

"We just heard people yelling and screaming to get down," said Megan Banton, a public utilities employee, while speaking with WAVY-TV. "I don't know what kind of person would do something like that." Banton and her co-workers reportedly barricaded themselves in their office during the shooting.

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The municipal center consists of 30 government buildings that house various city departments, public utilities, planning, public works, planning, communications and information technology, according to the city's website. Building 2 houses the operations building.

The incident is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since the Thousand Oaks massacre last November. At around 11:20 pm, a lone gunman entered the Borderline Bar & Grill and opened fire on the innocent bystanders. He killed 12 people and a police officer, and was killed inside the venue.

Five people have been killed with "multiple" people injured after a mass shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky.

Authorities received a call at around 8:30 AM local time about an active shooter in the area, with the situation ongoing when police arrived at the scene.

"We are confirming reports of an active aggressor in the 300 block of East Main. Please stay out of the area. There are multiple casualties," Louisville Metro Police Department tweeted.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear tweeted: "LMPD has confirmed a shooting situation in downtown Louisville with multiple casualties. I am headed there now. Please pray for all of the families impacted and for the city of Louisville."

Brian Krassenstein, an independent journalist, attended the scene where he heard police officers yell: "Active shooter at the bank."

He also shared a video from the scene on social media in which shots can be heard.

FBI Louisville confirmed that they are in attendance. "FBI Louisville special agents have responded to the scene of this morning's shooting in downtown Louisville and are assisting our law enforcement partners," they penned via Twitter.

Just under an hour after the initial report, the police department confirmed that the shooter was dead at the scene, though it is not clear how he came to be deceased at this stage.

"There is no longer an active aggressor threat. The suspected shooter has been neutralized," they wrote.

"The shooter was confirmed to be dead on the scene. We do not know exactly the circumstances of his death at this time,” LMPD Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said during a press conference at the scene.

He told reporters: "We received a report of shots fired and a possible active shooter at 333 East Main Street at the Old National Bank. Shortly after, officers arrived on the scene [...] where they encountered active gunshots still being fired inside the location at that time.

"The shooter was confirmed to be dead on the scene. We do not know exactly the circumstances of his death at this time.

"Five people are confirmed to have been killed inside, with at least six transported to the University of Louisville Hospital including one officer with various injuries. We are unable to confirm the status of those who have been transported at this time."

He added: "I will reiterate that this is an ongoing investigation, this information is preliminary and it will be updated shortly."

Deputy Chief Humphrey reassured viewers that there is "no known active danger" to the public at this stage but urged them to stay away from the area as "it will be an ongoing scene that will take a long time to investigate."

Police confirmed that at least five people had been killed in the mass shooting incident, with six others transported to a local hospital. One of the six reported to have been transported to the hospital was a police officer, with the current well-being of those injured remaining unknown.

The identity of the shooter remains unknown.

Featured image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy

Four people, including a child, have been killed in a mass shooting incident in Orange, California.

According to CNN, local police officers responded to reports of a shooting at approximately 5pm, on Wednesday, March 31

They engaged the suspect in a gun battle, where at least one cop was wounded as a result.

The office complex where the shooting occurred reportedly houses a number of businesses, including Farmer's Insurance, Calco Financial and Miller Counseling.

Police have not yet publically identified the perpetrator or revealed the names of any of the victims of the shooting.

However, per CNN, it is currently known that one of the victims is a minor.

In a later news conference, OPD spokesperson Lt. Jennifer Amat stated that the suspect was transported to the hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound, but did not reveal whether the police had inflicted the injury, or if it was self-inflicted.

Amat added: "I can tell you that we haven't had an incident like this in the city of Orange since 1997. It's just such a tragedy for the victims, their families, our community, and our police department.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has since commented on the tragedy in a recent tweet, writing to his 1.9 million followers: "Horrifying and heartbreaking. Our hearts are with the families impacted by this terrible tragedy tonight."

Meanwhile, Rep. Katie Porter wrote in a tweet of her own:

"I'm deeply saddened by reports of a mass shooting in Orange County, and I’m continuing to keep victims and their loved ones in my thoughts as we continue to learn more.

"My team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely."

This incident has occurred less than a week after multiple shootings in Virginia Beach, on March 27, left two people dead and several more injured.

In response to these and many other past massing shooting incidents President Biden called on Congress to ban the sale of assault weapons.

In an impassioned speech, Biden stated: "I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common-sense steps that will save lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act."

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Three people have been killed and at least five more injured during a shooing in Miami, Florida.

Per CBS News, police responded to reports of shots being fired in the parking lot of the College Park Shopping Plaza, in the Miami suburb of Kendall early on Sunday, June 6.

A police spokesperson has confirmed that at least one vehicle, subsequently identified as a red Toyota Camry, pulled into the parking lot near to where a graduation party was taking place.

The gunman then opened fire on people leaving a hookah lounge, wounding several people. The driver of the automobile then sped off and crashed into a wall at the nearby Miami Dade College Kendall campus.

Both the driver and the passenger in the car were killed as a result of the collision, while one of the injured gunshot victims, 20-year-old corrections officer Tyleisha Taylor, died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Florida Secretary of Corrections Mark Inch later confirmed Taylor's death in a statement to ABC affiliate WPLG in Miami, stating:

"We are devastated to learn a member of our FDC family, Officer Taylor, was killed in a fatal shooting. Our prayers are with her family as they navigate this unimaginable loss."

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Police later recovered a firearm in the fuselage of the crashed vehicle, although investigators are currently looking for a second car that may have been involved in the crime.

Commenting on the shooting in a later interview with CBS, Miami-Dade Police Director Freddie Ramirez voiced his frustrations with gun crime in the area, stating:

"Every weekend, it's the same thing. We have to ban together. We did Operation Summer Heat, made a lot of arrests, seized a lot of firearms and here we are again.

"There's a lot of work to do. We have to come together as a community and make this stop."

This incident comes a mere week after a mass shooting by three masked suspects driving an SUV outside a banquet hall in Northwest Miami-Dade left two people dead and a further 21 wounded.

CBS reports that the SUV in question was later pulled from the Biscayne Canal just off NW 154th Street and NW 2nd Avenue, approximately nine miles from the crime scene.

Miami Dade police are offering a reward of $130,000 to anyone who can provide accurate information as to the identities of the three culprits.

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As gun control remains a prominent issue in modern America, so too are mass shootings continuing to characterise the country’s news headlines. On Friday, a city engineer in Virginia Beach, VA killed 12 people in a government building using two .45 ACP pistols.

The perpetrator, 40-year-old DeWayne Craddock, was shot dead by police officers responding to the incident. A city engineer, he had access to the employee offices and other restricted areas in the open-entry municipal building. Furthermore, according to Virginia Beach City Manager Dave Hansen, Craddock had sent his notice of resignation that morning.

Asked in a press conference yesterday what that email said, Craddock responded, "we are determining where that letter is." He stated that Craddock, who had worked with the city's utilities department for 15 years, was not forced to resign and did not appear to be quitting because he had another job.

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According to the New York Times, a source close to Virginia Beach’s city government said he had no record of issues with conduct but had been getting into physical “scuffles” with other employees and was told that disciplinary action would follow. Although reports have stated that Craddock was shooting indiscriminately, Hansen confirmed that one of the victims was his supervisor. He had no previous criminal history.

Four victims were in critical condition yesterday, according to Sentara Healthcare. "Critical condition suggests all these patients are in ICUs and medically fragile," the company said in a statement. Speaking of the victims, Hansen added: "They leave a void that we will never be able to fill."

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Another city worker, engineering technician Joseph Scott, described Craddock as a “nice guy” who was in good standing with fellow employees and who he had never heard a bad word about. He spoke to Craddock minutes before the shooting occurred. "He was in there brushing his teeth, which he always did after he ate," Scott explained. "I said 'Hey, how you doing? What are you doing this weekend?' It was just a brief conversation."

Speaking at a vigil yesterday, pastor Luther Allen made an appeal for gun control. "We are tired of the same old same old of violence and outcry and prayer and back to the same old thing again," he said. "God, we need something different and we need it right now.

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"As you go back to the municipal centre on Monday, as you go back to Richmond on Monday, go back with the agenda and go be forewarned that November is coming," he added. "And we shall remember May 31st, 2019, and what you do between now and November will let us know if you're still truly on our side. God bless you."

Eleven of the deceased were city employees. The other was a contractor. Two 45-calibre pistols were used in the attack, according to Ashan Benedict - the regional special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

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Details of the victims were released to the press via a news conference on Saturday held by City Manager Dave Hansen. The deceased, pictured above, are Laquita C. Brown, Tara Welch Gallagher, Mary Louise Gayle, Alexander Mikhail Gusev, Richard H. Nettleton, Christopher Kelly Rapp, Katherine A. Nixon, Ryan Keith Cox, Michelle Langer, Joshua O. Hardy, Robert Williams, and Herbert Snelling.

Between them, they had served 150 years for the city. Robert "Bobby" Williams was the longest serving, having worked as a special projects coordinator for four decades. Laquita C. Brown was the sort of person who would bring in cupcakes if someone was having a bad day, according to those who knew her. "She lit up the office every single day," said Danielle Cyr DeFrias, a friend from a previous job.

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Christopher Kelly Rapp had a keen interest in Scottish music and had recently joined a pipe band, playing with the group in a local Celtic festival in October and again on St Patrick’s Day. "Chris was reserved but very friendly, quietly engaging members one-on-one after our weekly practices," the band, Tidewater Pipes & Drums, said in a statement.

“This was impromptu,” explained Pastor Chris Mitchell, in reference to a prayer group he led on Saturday. He reportedly broke down in tears, insisting that “the Lord is good”. The 38-year-old, wearing a grey “Gateway” t-shirt, explained to the press. “Last night we went to bed at one, woke up at four and just wept, asking God, what can we do? Just organically we felt we needed to be here. We were compelled.”

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“We said prayers for the families,” he continued. “I can’t imagine what they’re going through. A mother described it as the same sort of feeling she had on September 11 2001. That might sound like overkill to some but for us, it is that weighty.” However, others are going further still to describe the situation. “This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach,” explained Mayor Bobby Dyer.

Regardless of which side of the gun control debate one sits on, this horrific event has opened existing wounds. The reoccurrence of mass shootings in the US means the country is barely able to mourn its dead before another such incident occurs.

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As has been the case with so many towns and cities which have suffered this fate, many believed a mass shooting could never happen here. Residents speak of the city’s clean streets, sandy beaches and excellent school system. However, in a country where a gun is so easily obtainable, it seems tragedy is never far away.