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Some Virginia Beach city offices to be closed for mass shooting memorial service

Posted at 8:49 PM, Jun 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-25 12:51:45-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Virginia Beach announced some city offices will be closed and some services will be available for a short time on Thursday, June 27 to allow staff to attend a memorial service honoring the 12 people who were killed and the four who were injured during the May 31 mass shooting.

The 12 victims of the May 31 mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center

Faces of the Virginia Beach mass shooting

The following offices will be closed between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.:

  • Mayor’s Office
  • City Manager’s Office
  • Communications Office
  • Cultural Affairs Office
  • Economic Development
  • Finance – All divisions except Purchasing, which will remain open
  • Housing and Neighborhood Preservation – Only Director’s Office closed
  • Housing Resource Center will be closed for walk-ins and phone calls. Provider offices and shelters will continue to operate
  • Human Resources
  • Human Services Beach House program – Closed all day
  • Office of Volunteer Resources
  • Planning and Community Development, including Permits and Inspections
  • Public Utilities – The call center (385-4631) will be staffed to take calls from customers. However, during the memorial, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., only priority calls such as water turn-offs and turn-ons will be serviced. All other inquiries will be addressed after 1 p.m. During the ceremony, calls to Public Utilities Operations front office (385-1400) will answered by 311
  • Public Works – Thursday/Friday waste collection services may be delayed
  • Virginia Beach Public Library – With the exception of the Joint Use Library, all branches, the Wahab Law Library, Records Management Office, and Library Administration

The offices and services that were not mentioned above will be open and operating, though some may be at a reduced capacity.

“I have asked all departments to do what we can to make sure everyone who wants to attend the service be allowed to do so,” said City Manager Dave Hansen. “Each department has assessed its operations and is making adjustments. We just ask the public to be patient during the time when some offices are closed and some services are temporarily unavailable during this period.”

Watch: Cities come together Thursday for ‘VB Remembers’

The memorial service will be held at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater. Each attendee is allowed to bring only one personal item, such as a purse or a backpack, into the venue; all are subject to a search.

While the service will focus on the victims and their families, friends and colleagues, the city is inviting members of the public who would like to join in paying respects to attend or view the service online here.

Click here or here for a full list of allowed and prohibited items.

Click here for our full coverage on the Virginia Beach mass shooting.