2 dead, 8 injured in shootings in Virginia Beach

Two people were killed and eight others were injured Friday night in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in multiple incidents, including a physical fight that turned into a shootout, city officials said.

One of the people killed was a woman, and the other was a man who was shot by police in a separate incident, authorities said.

According to a police news release, the violence began in the oceanfront resort area of the city when “a group of individuals were involved in some type of conflict that resulted in a physical fight.”

“At some point during the physical altercation, several individuals produced firearms and began shooting at each other, resulting in numerous people being wounded,” the release states.

Officers patrolling the area heard “multiple gunshots” about 11:20 p.m., police said, and when they arrived they found several gunshot victims.

Minutes later, Virginia Beach police officers heard more gunfire several blocks away, police said.

When they arrived at that scene, they found a woman who had been shot, they said. She died at the scene.

The incidents did not appear to be related, police said in a release.

Police said an officer also encountered a man at the second scene. According to police, the man was armed, and an officer shot him. The man, who police did not identify, also died at the scene.

Japharii Jones, president of the local Black Lives Matter group, said he has been in touch with the family and that the man who police shot was not involved in the evening’s violence and was not threatening police when he was shot.

“He approached the officer to say hello,” said Jones, adding that he and others would be protesting.