DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE OPENS FIRE AT VIRGINIA BEACH MUNICIPAL CENTER AND LEFT ATLEAST 11 DEAD

The shooter who opened fire indiscriminately in a Virginia Beach city building Friday afternoon, killing at least 11 people and sending six others to the hospital, was a disgruntled employee, a Virginia government source briefed on the investigation told CNN.

The shooter died after a gunfight with police.

Police Chief James Cervera told reporters Friday night the gunman was a public utilities worker.

"This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach," said Mayor Bobby Dyer. "The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbor, colleagues."

The disgruntled employee opened fire inside a municipal building Friday in Virginia Beach, killing 11 and wounding six others, authorities said. The gunman died in an exchange of gunfire with police, who rushed to the scene shortly after 4 p.m. local time.

A local police officer was wounded while confronting the gunman. Chief James Cervera said in a news conference Friday that the officer was saved by his bullet-proof vest. Cervera pledged to visit the wounded officer by the end of the night

Police did not release the identity of the shooter, but Cervera said he was a long-time employee of the Public Utilities Department. "There's no way to describe an incident such as this," Cervera said.

Megan Banton, an employee who works in the building, told WTKR she could only think about making it home safe to her baby.

"I have an 11-month old baby at home and all I could think about was him and trying to make it home to him," Branton said.

Sheila Cook, an employee at the courthouse in the building, said her coworkers didn't realize how close they were to the gunshots.

"We heard shooting, but we didn't think it was that close, like in proximity of the building," she said. "Thank God they were able to alert us in time. If it had been 10 minutes, we would have been outside."

6 transported to local hospital

Five of the injured were transported to Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital and one person was transported to Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, WTKR reported. According to a Sentara spokesperson, the patient at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital is being air lifted to a trauma center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

The extent of the injuries are currently unclear.

Workers leave locked down building

WTKR reporter Kofo Lasaki reports that people appear to be leaving one of the buildings at the scene that was on lockdown. It's unclear which building is being evacuated.

Source : CNN.com