During the shooting, Keith guided colleagues to safety, but did not join them so he could look out for others.
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Herbert “Bert” Snelling, a contractor who lived in Virginia Beach and was visiting the Municipal Center for a permit, led his church’s security team. In his work, he did everything from small handyman repair to building homes.pic.twitter.com/v8MvkRkJIK
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Robert “Bobby” Williams, a special projects coordinator who lived in Chesapeake, worked for Virginia Beach for 41 years. He helped build the sea wall in our city and planned on retiring this year to spend more time with his family.pic.twitter.com/Fj0UIi7LkG
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The losses here will never be replaced. But so many heroes emerged to prevent further horror.
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Over the weekend, I saw heroic first responders — police, fire, and EMS personnel — who ran into the line of fire to save others before comforting our community in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy.
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As the hours and days go by, we hear tens if not hundreds of stories of the heroism of individuals who helped save lives during this tragic event.
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That includes including the officer, among the first responders, who in the performance of his duties took a bullet to protect our community, and was by the grace of God saved by his protective vest.
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I saw unbelievable bravery at Sentara Hospital, where Sunday I had the honor of visiting a survivor of the shooting. She clasped my hand as I stood at her bedside, and her strength and resolve were palpable, as she had only narrowly come away alive.
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I saw love and hope at heartfelt vigils across our community where people of all faiths joined in prayer to remember those who left us all too soon.
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I saw strength among our city leaders and police chief as they addressed our grieving community — determined to remember the 12 we lost far too soon.
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Those who knew the victims are making statements that we need to hear.
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Bert Snelling’s neighbor told a Virginian-Pilot reporter: “It’s the world we live in now, and it’s a shame.” A friend of Missy Langer’s told The Washington Post: “This kind of stuff has got to stop.” Another friend said: “She didn’t deserve to die like that.” None of them did.
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This is a moment where doing nothing is no longer an option. To prove that point, all we have to do is look at the first responder who ran into the building and took a bullet to protect his fellow citizens.
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To him, it was never an option to not act. If there is a lesson that we take out of this tragedy, all we have to do is look at him. We must run into the building together. We must act.
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End of conversation
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