DeWayne Craddock, the 40-year-old engineer who officials say murdered 12 people at the government building where he worked in Virginia Beach, Va., submitted a formal letter of regulation from his post as an engineer for the city, according to the Washington Post.
Police arrived at the building within minutes of a call about shots fired after 4 p.m. Friday. Craddock shot a contractor in the parking lot of Building 2 before shooting a woman leaving the office.
Craddock then made his way to the second floor with his access badge, shooting indiscriminately at innocent employees.
“He notified his chain of command that morning,” said City Manager Dave Hansen during a news conference, while noting that Craddock was not in danger of being fired. “My understanding is he did that via email.”
Craddock’s motivations remain unclear and police are looking into his personal and professional relationships, according to Police Chief James A. Cervera.
“We do not have anything planned,” Cervera said.
“We were moving at a rapid pace,” Cervera told media, “we had no idea where the suspect was.” Cervera described Building 2, built like a honeycomb, as “a maze where the workers are.”
Between five to eight minutes after entering the building, officers encountered Craddock on the second floor. A gun battle ensued.
Craddock moved around the office building floor, shooting rounds through doors and walls, wounding an officer at 4:19 p.m.
Eventually, Craddock was confronted in an office. Thirty-six minutes after the original call, officers rendered aid to Craddock, who died on the way to a nearby hospital.
Twelve were killed, and four others were hospitalized, according to NBC News. All four have undergone surgery.