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Families of 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting victims release video calling for support from local, state leaders

The video featured new sentiments from family members of the shooting victims, some who have never spoken publicly about the tragedy before.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — An attorney representing six families of victims killed in the 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting released a video Wednesday demanding justice.

The video obtained first by 13News Now is nearly six minutes long and featured new sentiments from family members of the shooting victims; some who have never spoken publicly about the tragedy before.

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax's law firm, which is representing the families, put the video together. He represents the families of victims LaQuita Brown, Joshua Hardy, Michelle Langer, Mary Louise Gayle, Katherine Nixon and Alexander Gusev.

RELATED | Families of 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting victims call for justice

The relatives who spoke via video expressed their heartbreak and shared renewed calls for accountability. 

"We all need justice," said Debbie Borato, Michelle Langer's sister. 

Borato and other 5/31 families persist on their road to healing while renewing pleas for truth, transparency, and resources. 

"I miss my mom. I just miss her," said Matthew Gayle, Mary Louise Gayle's son. "I have panic attacks for the first time in my life, nightmares."

"I can't even talk about it in support groups," said Mary Louise Gayle's daughter, Sarah Gayle Leonard. "It literally silences the room."

A total of 12 people were killed and several were injured in Municipal Center Building 2 when police said a former city employee opened fire.

"As soon as I pass Building 2, I sign my cross. I want Building 2 to be torn down," said Patricia Smith, Mary Louise Gayle's sister. 

RELATED | FBI: Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooter 'motivated by perceived workplace grievances, which he fixated on for years'

And even after the FBI found, in part, the shooter was motivated by perceived workplace grievances — which he fixated on for years — unanswered questions linger.

"I still cannot process why he killed the people who worked with him for so long time," said Aliaksei Huseu, brother of Alexander Gusev.

"There's just a big void in all of our lives. It just changes you in ways you don't think of," said Dwight Brown, Jr., LaQuita Brown's brother. "I couldn't tell you what the best day of my life is, but I can tell you what the worst is, May 31, 2019." 

For these families, their pain cuts deep. 

"I will hold my brother in my heart until I can hold him in heaven," said Denise Smallwood, sister of Joshua Hardy. "How do you get over somebody being shot 10 times? Think about how you would feel if they let your loved one sit in that building overnight because that's what they did."

"Your mommy's where?" Jason Nixon, the husband of Katherine Nixon, asked one of their children. "In my heart," the child responded. "In your heart," Mr. Nixon uttered.

Jason Nixon also recounted moments from the day of May 31, 2019. 

"She had a really bad feeling about going to work that day," he said. 

He shared something his wife had told him about the gunman. 

"Well, he put his resignation in. Fifteen minutes later, she called me and said 'Jason, I've been shot, call 911.'"

"It's a mental health issue. We have a serious problem in this country, not just in this city, but this country," Alexis Nixon, the mother-in-law of Katherine Nixon said.

"It has been the deepest hole I have ever been in," Borato added.

In a news conference last month, Fairfax said they are prepared to do everything needed on the legal front.

This all came ahead of the release of a letter penned by the VTV Family Outreach Foundation, calling on Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares, the Virginia General Assembly and leaders with the City of Virginia Beach to help the families.

The foundation, created by survivors and families of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, wants those leaders to extend the same "compassion, empathy, courage, grace and leadership" to the Virginia Beach families as was shown to those affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy with "the VT settlement."

View the full video by Fairfax's office below: 

A spokesperson for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released the following statement with his response:

“To aid the victims and family members of this and other horrible tragedies, the governor has proposed $10 million to capitalize a new fund to support the long term costs associated with recovery. The governor is also supporting legislative efforts to enhance penalties for crimes committed with guns and addressing the behavioral health challenge in the Commonwealth through a $230 million behavioral health plan that delivers help when people need it.”

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