The City of Virginia Beach will memorialize the May 31, 2019 Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting with several remembrance activities, including points of reflection at Mount Trashmore and the Municipal Center, special programming through the VB Strong Center, and remembrance flags across the city.
The mass shooting left 12 people dead, five people physically injured and hundreds more impacted.
Ceremonial Programming: Virtual Ceremony and Remembrance Flags
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Remembrance Day: On Friday, May 28 wear blue in remembrance and observe a moment of silence wherever you are at 4:06 p.m. – the time the first 911 call was received.
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Take in a Sunrise: On Monday, May 31 take in a morning sunrise alone or with loved ones from the beach or another comfortable location.
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Virtual Remembrance Ceremony: A virtual memorial ceremony will be made available on this website on the evening of May 30 to honor those we lost and to encourage the community to pledge to serve or commit to acts of kindness in remembrance.
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Remembrance Flags: Remembrance flags featuring the Love for VB symbol will be displayed half-staffed under City seal flags throughout the City. This is acknowledged in the Mayor’s 2021 Love for VB Dedication Day proclamation.
Points of Reflection at Municipal Center and Mount Trashmore
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Municipal Center- Due to the new City Hall construction and to meet construction site public safety protocols, this installation will be placed behind Building 15 in view of Building 2.
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Mt. Trashmore- The Love for VB symbol will be painted on the front façade below the City seal.
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Oceanfront at 24th Street- A sand sculpture inspired by the Love for VB forget-me-not flower
Three points of reflection will be installed May 26 – June 2 as part of our May 31remembrance activities (weather permitting):
OCEANFRONT at 24th Street
MOUNT TRASHMORE
MUNICIPAL CENTER
Details: https://t.co/bqWSbV5arJ#LoveForVB #VBStrong pic.twitter.com/PTnNGvQWTM— Virginia Beach (@CityofVaBeach) May 24, 2021
VB Strong Center Activities
The VB Strong Center was developed in 2019 through a partnership between the City of Virginia Beach and Sentara Healthcare to provide resources, support, education and connection to community partners critically needed in the aftermath of the 2019 trauma.
Throughout the month of May, the VB Strong Center will offer StoryWalk® programming in partnership with the Virginia Beach Public Library and Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation. A StoryWalk® features pages of a children’s book, deconstructed into panels and placed along a path or trail. As families follow the path to read the story, parents will find tips on how to practice early literacy skills with their children, and children will enjoy suggested activities based on what’s happening in the story. The chosen title is “The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld, a moving and universal picture book about empathy and kindness, intended to soothe heartaches big and small.
