President Donald Trump signed legislation into law renaming a Virginia Beach post office after Ryan “Keith” Cox, a longtime public utilities employee who sacrificed his own life to save others during the shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.
According to witness accounts, he sacrificed his own life to save colleagues during the shooting. Rejecting coworkers’ calls to take refuge, Cox stood his ground in a hallway and said: “I’ve got to see if anybody else needs help.”
The legislation was originally introduced by U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria (VA-02) and backed by the entire Virginia delegation.
“Virginia Beach and our entire Commonwealth will never forget Keith Cox’s courageous efforts to save his fellow Virginians,” Congresswoman Luria said. “The post office building will serve as a permanent reminder of his bravery and sacrifice. It’s an honor to recognize a true community hero.”
“There is no way to repay Mr. Cox or his loved ones for the tremendous sacrifice he made on the day of this horrific shooting, but it is our hope that this post office will help honor his memory and heroism in the community he gave his life to protect,” Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) said in a joint statement. “The Commonwealth will never forget Mr. Cox’s selfless actions.”
The United States Postal Service (USPS) facility is located at 2509 George Mason Drive in Virginia Beach. In July, Sens. Warner and Kaine helped secure Senate passage of the legislation by urging leaders of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Committee that oversees USPS, to support the bill in honor of Cox’s bravery.
In June, the senators secured unanimous passage of a Senate resolution honoring the 12 victims of the Virginia Beach shooting.
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