The shooter who killed 12 people in a government office building in Virginia Beach used a firearm equipped with a suppressor that muffles the sound of gunfire. Virginia is among 42 states that allow residents to purchase and possess suppressors, though some cities and towns — including Virginia Beach — prohibit them. It's not immediately clear how long Friday's attack lasted, or how much time passed before the first police officers arrived. In 2008, when West Valley City, Utah-based SilencerCo was formed, about 18,000 of the devices were being sold each year. Some have questioned how secure the building was where police say the shooter and all but one of his victims worked.

Source: ABC News June 01, 2019 22:56 UTC