Police: 2 killed, 8 injured in Virginia Beach shootings
Two people were killed and eight others were injured Friday night in Virginia Beach, Va., 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 1900 block of Atlantic Avenue 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 stated.
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, in the 300 block of 19th Street, they found a woman who had been shot, they said. She died at the scene.
“It is not currently believed this shooting incident is currently related to the initial incident,” police said in a release.
Police said an officer also encountered a man at the second scene. According to police, the man was armed with a weapon 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 BLM 757, 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 Mr. Jones, adding that he and others would be protesting.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate told reporters at a news conference that police had “a very chaotic night” at the beach. “Many different crimes cenes.”
Several people are in custody following the shootings, police said, but it remains unclear of their involvement. The investigation into the Virginia Beach shootings is ongoing, police said.
Police also said that an officer was injured “at some point during these three incidents,” after being struck by a vehicle. The officer was treated at a hospital and released.