VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Seven years after the deadly mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, the city will hold a ceremony Sunday at the 5/31 Memorial to honor the 12 victims killed on May 31, 2019.
“This is closure for me,” said Jason Nixon, whose wife, Kate Nixon, was among those killed in the shooting.
Kate Nixon, a city engineer, died after a city employee opened fire inside Building 2 at the municipal complex.
“Kate fought the shooter. Kate made sure that other people could live,” Nixon said.
Nixon said the thought behind the memorial was to ensure every detail was done correctly. The memorial is located across from the Municipal Center.
“Last year my kids wrote notes to their loved ones, and encased here is a time capsule with those notes that we put underneath these,” Nixon said as he pointed to Kate's name.
The memorial includes symbolic features, including lighting in the trees.
“There are 150 lights in these trees. At nighttime, you’ll see them come on, and it represents 150 years of service we lost that day,” Nixon said.
The memorial also honors the victims through personal details, including birthdays engraved throughout the site.
While much of the memorial has been completed, the city said work will continue after Sunday’s ceremony. Officials said the area will open to the public for the event before temporarily closing again for landscaping and installation of permanent fixtures.
A city spokesperson said the delay was due to weather and supply chain issues.
Nixon said he plans to attend the ceremony with his daughters and fiancée. While he said he understands the delay, he wants the memorial to have a lasting impact.
“A lot of legislators come down here and check it out because it is going to be an earmark for Virginia Beach — something where we took something bad and made something beautiful out of it,” Nixon said.
Sunday’s ceremony begins at 4 p.m. and is open to the public.
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