They were civilians and contractors, just starting their day at a massive military compound that’s normally a bastion of safety.
But for reasons that may never be known, a former Navy reservistcut their lives short when he went on a shooting rampage at Washington’s Navy Yard on Monday. Twelve families were left anguished.
Fatalities: 12
On Monday night, officials identified seven of the 12 victims killed:
• Michael Arnold, 59, of Lorton, Virginia;
• Sylvia Frasier, 53, of Waldorf, Maryland;
• Kathy Gaarde, 62, of Woodbridge, Virginia;
• John Roger Johnson, 73, of Derwood, Maryland;
• Frank Kohler, 50, of Tall Timbers, Maryland;
• Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46, of Waldorf, Maryland;
• Vishnu Shalchendia Pandit, 61, of North Potomac, Maryland;
• Arthur Daniels, 51, of Southeast Washington, D.C.;
• Mary Francis Knight, 51, of Reston, Virginia;
• Gerald L. Read, 58, of Alexandria, Virginia;
• Martin Bodrog, 54, of Annandale, Virginia;
• Richard Michael Ridgell, 52, of Westminster, Maryland.
Injuries: 8
At least eight others were also injured, Washington Mayor Vincent Gray told reporters Monday night.
Three were shot, including a woman who was struck in the head but miraculously survived. The bullet did not penetrate her skull.
The others were hospitalized for contusions and chest pain.
Among the injured is Washington Metropolitan Police Officer Scott Williams, who underwent surgery Monday afternoon for gunshot wounds to the lower legs.
Doctors will try to determine Tuesday whether he’ll be able to use his legs again.
“He was most concerned about being able to talk to his mother and wanted to make sure he was able to speak to her before he went into surgery,” said Dr. Janis Orlowski, chief medical officer at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Wounded survivors are eligible for treatment at a U.S. military’ hospital, just as if they were soldiers wounded in war.
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said that Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, is open to them.
People who want to check on family members who may have been at the Navy Yard can call one of two numbers: 202-433-6151 and 202-433-9713.
Check out the full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/17/us/dc-navy-yard-victims/index.html
