Virginia Beach committee reveals proposed site of May 31 mass shooting memorial

VIRGINIA BEACH — A group tasked with planning a memorial for the 2019 mass shooting that shook the city has proposed a site.

The 5/31 memorial committee this week selected a swath of city-owned land flanked by a lake near the corner of Princess Anne Road and Nimmo Parkway.

The site was one of several considered near the municipal center, where on May 31, 2019, a city employee killed 12 people and wounded four others before police killed the gunman inside Building 2.

The land was chosen because of the existing water feature and parking availability, among other reasons.

5/31 Memorial Committee members walk past the new Virginia Beach City Hall building on Thursday, March 31, 2022, as they start a tour of possible sites for a memorial to the victims of the mass shooting at the municipal center on May 31, 2019. (Bill Tiernan/The Virginian-Pilot)

“What we’re doing right now is going to be a historical landmark down the road,” committee member Jason Nixon told the City Council during a public meeting Tuesday. Nixon’s wife, Katherine, was among those who were killed.

The committee’s next step will be working with architectural firms to finalize the design of the memorial, which could be done by spring.

The City Council will vote soon to formally approve the land as the site of the memorial, as well as any expenses, according to city spokeswoman Tiffany Russell.

The committee also is recommending installing a plaque or marker at Building 2, which is being renovated and will be occupied by the police department.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com