12 killed, six wounded after mass shooting incident in Virginia
Washington: A disgruntled veteran public utilities employee stormed a government building in the US State of Virginia and fired indiscriminately at his co-workers, killing at least 12 people and wounding six others, police said Saturday.
The gunman, whose identity has not been released, was killed when police responded to the shooting in the southeastern coastal city of Virginia Beach.
The suspect, a long-term and current Virginia Beach city employee, fired "indiscriminately" in a public utilities building, police said.
Police Chief James Cervera told reporters there was an exchange of gunfire with officers and a police officer whose ballistic vest stopped a bullet was injured.
"This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach. The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbour, colleagues," Mayor Bobby Dyer was quoted as saying by the CNN.
The shooter was a disgruntled employee, the report said, quoting a Virginia government source.
"The President has been briefed on the shooting in Virginia Beach, VA and continues to monitor the situation," White House said.
"This is a horrific day for the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are devastated by the tragic shooting in Virginia Beach," said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam after visiting the scene.
The shooting took place shortly after 4 PM within the sprawling Virginia Beach Municipal Center, a campus of city offices and agencies, including the Police Department, when the gunman entered the public works department building of the city's municipal center.
The attack unfolded on multiple floors in Building No. 2, which includes offices for planning and public works, among others, and is adjacent to City Hall. The name of the gunman, who worked in the public utilities department, was not revealed by the city policy, police said.
Police found victims on every floor of the building, the police chief said, adding the identities of the victims were not immediately released nor was the motive of the attack.
According to local Virginian Pilot newspaper, the shooter came armed with a .45-caliber handgun with a sound suppressor on it and shot one victim in a vehicle outside before entering the building. The rest were shot inside.
The FBI is helping the city police in investigating the shooting incident.
Senator Mark R Warner said that he is horrified by what has happened in Virginia Beach.
"I am thankful to law enforcement for their swift and courageous response. My heart goes out to all the victims of today's senseless violence, their families, and the entire community that has been affected by these awful events. I will be praying for the swift recovery of those injured," he said.
"My heart breaks for Virginia Beach. For the victims, their families, the community, everyone impacted by this terrible act of violence. But the moment we resign ourselves to be just onlookers to such carnage, we lose our soul. We can and will take action," Senator Ed Markey said.
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Air India reduces cabin baggage allowance to 15 kg for lowest fare segment
New Delhi: Loss-making Air India has reduced the free cabin baggage allowance to 15 kilogram from 20 kilogram for the lowest economy fare segment on domestic flights.
The changes have been made in the menu-based pricing model fare families that were introduced by the Tata Group-owned Air India last August, with the airline saying that a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer ideal.
There are three fare families — Comfort, Comfort Plus and Flex — that offer different levels of benefits and fare restrictions at various price points, an airline spokesperson said on Saturday.
With effect from May 2, the free cabin baggage allowance for the ‘Comfort’ and ‘Comfort Plus’ categories has been reduced to 15 kg from 20 kg and 25 kg, respectively.
Prior to the introduction of the fare families concept, passengers on Air India’s domestic flights were allowed to carry 25 kilograms of cabin baggage free of any additional charge.
“On domestic routes in Economy Class, both ‘Comfort’ and ‘Comfort Plus’ fare families now provide 15 kg baggage allowance, while ‘Flex’ provides 25 kg allowance.
“The Business Class baggage allowance on domestic routes ranges from 25 kg to 35 kg. The free baggage allowance on international flights varies from market to market,” the spokesperson said.
In other domestic airlines also, passengers are allowed to carry 15 kg of cabin baggage without additional charge.
The Air India spokesperson said the fare families are designed to let passengers choose the kind of fare and services that best suit their requirements, given that travellers today have varied preferences, and a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer ideal.
Elaborating on the proposition, the spokesperson said that for example, the price difference between ‘Comfort Plus’ and ‘Flex’ fares would typically be around Rs 1,000 in a domestic sector like Delhi-Mumbai, with the ‘Flex’ fare providing the value of nearly Rs 9,000, including 10 kilograms extra baggage and zero change or cancellation fees.
The introduction of fare families is in response to customer feedback and Air India’s own comprehensive study. It is also benchmarked against the offerings of relevant competition in each of the markets we have introduced it in, the spokesperson added.
Tata Group has embarked on an ambitious plan to revive the fortunes of the loss-making Air India, which it had acquired from the government in 2022.
