State delegate says she has Virginia Beach mass shooter’s laptop

A state delegate says she is in possession of evidence that police missed in their investigation into the 2019 mass shooting at Virginia Beach’s municipal center.

What’s happening: Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler, a Democrat from Virginia Beach, says the computer was recovered from the shooter’s condo by a victim’s relative who was awarded the property and its contents in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the deceased gunman’s estate.

Why it matters: The bizarre series of events could shed light on the shooter’s motive, which was never conclusively determined.

• It would also represent a major lapse in the investigation into the shooting, which has been the subject of persistent criticism by survivors and victims’ family members, Convirs-Fowler told The Virginian-Pilot.

Worth noting: The authenticity of the laptop has not been independently verified.

• Convirs-Fowler has so far only shared screenshots of some documents, including a document described as an expense report for the purchase of a weapon prior to the shooting.

The intrigue: Virginia Beach Police, who said their search of the home didn’t turn up any personal computers, asked Convirs-Fowler this week to turn over the device so they conduct a forensic review.

• Convirs-Fowler is refusing, saying she doesn’t trust the department and is instead trying to arrange a handoff to the Department of Justice.