A Jordanian police officer who’d been fired killed five people at a training facility near the country’s capital, including two American contractors, officials said.
NewsChannel 3 has learned that one of those killed was a former Virginia Beach police officer, Damon Creach. Friends say the father of three loved Virginia Beach and was always known to be upbeat, happy and always thinking of others.
He was working as a defense contractor. A family friend tells us that Creach lived in Virginia Beach from 2001-2012. He worked for the police department from 2004-2006.
His family is now in Florida. They moved away from Virginia for a job opportunity.
He was supposed to return to the United States in January after leaving in mid-October. His wife was informed about his death on Monday. He was taking a training class overseas.
A family friend says they are now working to get a memorial for his family.
On Tuesday, the Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association 34 released the following statement.
“Like the rest of the country we were shocked and saddened to learn of the shooting in Jordan. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all those who were killed and injured. This horrific incident hits our family especially hard as we again have lost one of our own. Regardless of the length of service, or the uniform worn, this is felt thorouout our organization. We extend our sympahthies not just to Damon’s friends and familiy, but to his VBPD family and his classmates of the 38th Academy.”
A South African contractor and two Jordanians were also among those slain in the attack at a police training facility near Amman, Jordan’s official Petra news agency reported. Jordanian security forces killed the shooter, the Prime Minister’s office said.
Two Americans, three Jordanian police officers and a Lebanese officer were wounded in the shooting, Petra said. The attack happened at the Jordan International Police Training Center, Jordan’s military said.
The gunman was a police officer who had recently been fired, a U.S. official told CNN’s Jim Sciutto, but it was unclear whether that was the reason for the shooting.
The U.S. Embassy in Amman said it strongly condemned the attack.
“The investigation is ongoing, and it is premature to speculate on motive at this point,” the embassy said in a statement posted on its website.
The American contractors at the facility were working in a U.S.-backed training program “predominantly arranged for Palestinian security forces, to teach them basic police and security skills,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.
No members of the U.S. military, who cycle through the training center, were involved in the shooting, the U.S. official said.
The incident came on the 10th anniversary of coordinated bombings at three Jordanian hotels which left about 60 people dead.
