VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Final plans were unveiled Thursday night for a memorial to honor the victims killed in a mass shooting more than five years ago in Virginia Beach.
Twelve people were killed when a gunman opened fire on May 31, 2019, inside Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Complex.
In the days, weeks and months following the shooting, a committee was formed, made up of family members, city council members and other citizens. They were charged with the task of designing a memorial to honor the victims.
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"It's going be a beautiful memorial. It's going to stand out across the nation," said Jason Nixon, a committee member.
Nixon's wife, Kate, was one of the victims.
Included in the memorial is a meditation garden, a hero tree to honor the first responders and a path that goes around an acoustic water fountain.
The names of the 12 people who lost their lives will be a focal point, according to Clay Dills. His architecture firm—based in Virginia Beach— designed the memorial.
He said the project is sensitive.
Watch more: Ceremony marks 5 years since 12 people were killed in Virginia Beach shooting
"We’ve been in the city now for 40 years...so I knew these people for forever," he said.
Scattered through the memorial will be 150 canopy lights, representing the total number of years the victims served the City of Virginia Beach, Dill said.
During Thursday's meeting in Virginia Beach's Town Center, Dills said a tentative agreement was signed with a firm to build the memorial at a cost of more than $12 million to the city.
But even with cuts, the city faces a $4.3 million shortfall, according to Thursday's presentation.
Watch: Virginia Beach 5/31 Memorial Committee selects architect for project
He said the plans now go to Virginia Beach City Council, which will vote on them at their meeting on Tuesday night. If all goes as planned, construction will be finished on May 31, 2026.
Jason Nixon hopes the memorial stands out to all who pass by—residents and visitors alike.
"If we forget history, it tends to repeat itself," he said.
