Team Coverage. It's a term you hear pretty often on 13News. Putting multiple photographers and reporters on one story is sometimes the only way to cover all of the possible angles.

Wednesday afternoon, we at 13News rolled into a form of selfless team coverage I've never experienced before.

At 5 p.m., 13News photographer Andy Grossman and I were shooting "b-roll" (or cover video) for a story we were assigned to cover at a meeting with Governor Tim Kaine. That's when we got the call from Brandon Foster-Gray at the 13News assignment desk. Our newsroom had received a tip that someone had gone on a shooting rampage on Inverness Drive in Virginia Beach. He told Andy and I to hop to it and get to the scene.

It turns out we were less than a mile away from the scene. When we pulled onto Boggs Drive, the scene was to say the least -- chaotic. SWAT team members pulling on protective gear and grabbing high-powered weaponry.

As Beach police were getting the scene secured, 13News was doing the same.

On the other side of the Thalia Gardens complex, 13News investigator Wayne Carter along with 13News photographer Andrew Tawes were setting up their live shot. Moments later, 13News photographer Trista Hutson and 13News reporter Patrick Terpstra pulled up in another live truck on Boggs. And if that wasn't enough manpower enough, 13News investigator Lindsey Roberts and 13News photographer Andy Franklin (apparently to be a photographer here your name has to be Andy or Andrew) showed up.

While Wayne and I were the faces delivering facts and information on this story to you at home -- Patrick and Lindsey were helping us gather as much as we could about the unfolding situation at Thalia Gardens.

Our photography staff was working exceptionally hard -- setting up live shots, shooting video and interviews and generally working their tails to the bone. They did all this without taking a break to sit down and eat dinner or even use the restroom.

Andy Grossman and myself were the exceptions Wednesday night -- we were working our regular 2:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. shifts. Everybody else -- was what we call a dayside crew -- they typically come in at 9 a.m. and get off at 6:30 p.m. -- and Wednesday night they all made incredible sacrifices (missing quality time with spouses and newborn children, and even missing a concert) to stay in Virginia Beach and make sure you, the viewer, had as much as information as possible. That is dedication.

I want to personally thank everyone: Andy G., Patrick, Andy F., Lindsey, Wayne, Andrew and Trista for all of their outstanding work out there. It was truly inspiring to see what team coverage really means when it's done properly.

A side note: an extra special thanks to Lindsey and Andy Franklin for fetching food for their weary and hungry colleagues.

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