VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Del. Kelly Fowler (D-Virginia Beach) has requested the Dept. of Justice take possession of the alleged laptop belonging to the 2019 Municipal Center mass shooter.
Fowler first reported she had the laptop earlier in the week and now says she has given it to her attorney.
In response to Fowler going public with the laptop, Virginia Beach Police asked the laptop be turned over to them to complete a forensic review to determine its authenticity and relevance to the investigation into the shooting.
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"As was made clear in the March 2021 Final Investigation Summary Report, referenced in a recent news release, neither the FBI nor the VBPD located or seized a personal laptop computer belonging to the shooter," the department said in a statement Tuesday.
On Thursday, Fowler said several attorneys and VBPD have contacted her for the laptop.
Fowler said she did not think the laptop should be turned over to the police department, instead asking the Dept. of Justice to take it. "A missed piece of evidence, like a laptop doesn't need to go to the Investigative Authority that missed the piece of evidence to begin with or a private attorney that has a potential financial interest in the laptop," she said.
On Thursday, VBPD said they had nothing to add in response to Fowler's statement. The FBI referred News 3 to VBPD, saying they are the lead agency in the investigation.
An attorney for Fowler listed in a press release did not return a request for comment.
Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is now involved in the aftermath of the shooting and says he is representing four of the families who lost loved ones in the May 2019 shooting, including the families of Kate Nixon, Missy Langer, Joshua Hardy, and Laquita Brown.
"It has been over three and a half years and these families have not gotten the truth. They've not gotten transparency. They've gotten no accountability. They've gotten virtually no support and they've gotten no justice," Fairfax said in an interview with News 3.
In late 2019, four of the 12 families filed wrongful death claims against the City of Virginia Beach, which preserved their right to sue.
When asked for a status update on those claims, a city spokesperson told News 3, "While some families filed notices of claim, the City is not aware of any lawsuits that were filed within the statute of limitations period typically applicable to suits of this type."
Fairfax said he is exploring all legal options with the families he's representing. "We cannot simply allow people to turn their backs on these families," said Fairfax. "We don't need to move on. We need to move up and to elevate and to make sure that we are meeting these families where they are."
