Who is DeWayne Craddock, the suspect in the Virginia Beach shooting?

Ann Marie Douglas attends a vigil for victims of the mass shooting that left 12 dead. PHOTO: NYTIMES

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (NYTIMES) - Virginia Beach officials on Saturday (June 1) identified DeWayne Craddock, a longtime Virginia Beach city worker who had recently been terminated, as the gunman who stormed the beach community's municipal complex Friday afternoon and opened fire, killing at least 12 and injuring several others.

Craddock, 40, died in a shootout with police.

There was no immediate indication that Craddock targeted anyone in particular, officials said.

Craddock worked as an engineer in the Department of Public Utilities, the city's water and sanitary sewer services branch, for about 15 years.

A recent city news release, listed him as a contact person on a roads project.

He had a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Old Dominion University.

Before his job with the city, he worked for private firms specialising in site planning and infrastructure, and for the Army Training and Support Centre, employment listings showed.

He also served in the Army National Guard, according to news reports.

Craddock had no obvious criminal history, according to court records, although he did have several traffic violations over the years.

Virginia Beach police chief James Cervera said Craddock was armed with at least one weapon, a .45-caliber handgun that had a sound suppressor attached to it.

He used extended magazines, which hold more ammunition than standard models.

Officials said additional weapons had been found at the scene and at Craddock's home.

Cervera, speaking at a news conference on Saturday morning, said he did not intend to say the gunman's name again in public.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.