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Virginia Beach Mulls Independent Commission on Mass Shooting

DeWayne Craddock
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DeWayne Craddock

(AP) The city of Virginia Beach may soon commission an independent investigation into the mass shooting that claimed 12 lives last month, but the findings might not come out quickly enough for some victims' families, state lawmakers and city officials. 

City Council members delved into a debate Tuesday over how a third-party probe would proceed. One contentious issue is whether police would have control over when the separate investigation could begin.

One proposal before the council says the probe would commence only after police provided written assurance that it would not interfere with their own investigation. 

Council members clashed over the desire for answers and the need for police to finish their investigation. The shooting occurred May 31 when city engineer DeWayne Craddock opened fire in the municipal building where he worked.

On Monday, two state lawmakers had called for an independent investigation into last month's mass shooting. The statement from delegates Cheryl Turpin and Kelly Convirs-Fowler says elected officials have not received a briefing from police or city officials since the week of the May 31 shooting.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.