Virginia Beach killer said in resignation note it 'has been a pleasure' to be a public servant
The public utilities engineer who killed 12 co-workers in a shooting rampage in Virginia Beach resigned in a short, professional email shortly before the carnage began, saying "it has been a pleasure to serve," according to a copy of the letter released Monday.
"Due to personal reasons I must relieve my position," DeWayne Craddock, 40, wrote in the two-sentence email to an administrator in the Virginia Beach city government.
The letter does not give any hint as to what Craddock intended to do on Friday, when he went floor by floor in the Virginia Beach Municipal Building and fired dozens of rounds from at least one .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
An unidentified person responded to the email by saying he or she hoped that Craddock would be able to resolve his personal issues and that Craddock’s last day would be Friday, June 14. Craddock responded: “Thank you. Yes, that is correct.”
Authorities shed no immediate light on what led him to resign.
Craddock was an employee “in good standing” and showed “satisfactory” job performance, City Manager Dave Hansen said.
That has left survivors, officials and community members wondering what set off the violence.
“Right now we do not have anything glaring,” said Police Chief James Cervera. “There’s nothing that hits you right between the eyes. But we are working on it.”
He added, “You have a professional life, you have a personal life. Is it something that happened in his personal life? Is it something long-term that happened in his personal life?”
Cervera said investigators are looking at everything from his electronic trail and finances to his resignation and relationship with co-workers. He said nothing has stuck out that could explain why the gunman snapped.
Authorities worked to put all the pieces together and track the shooter’s exact movements Friday to see whether there were any signs, but Cervera said, “Anecdotally, what I’m hearing is it was a regular workday.”
A co-worker reported that Craddock was in the bathroom of the building just before the shooting began. He was brushing his teeth and showed no outward signs of being distressed or angry.
Craddock was described by police and those who knew him as an enigma who gave no indication that he stockpiled an arsenal and planned a systematic assault on his colleagues.
Craddock, a 15-year veteran of public works and a civil engineer, was still employed at the time of the rampage and had a pass to enter the secure inner offices and conference rooms. He died after an intense gun battle with four police officers who confronted him in the building.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virginia Beach killer said in resignation note it 'has been a pleasure' to be a public servant
