Two people are dead, and at least eight more are injured, after multiple shootings at the Virginia Beach oceanfront on Friday night, according to police.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate held a press conference early Saturday morning and provided preliminary information to reporters.
He said that “numerous shots were fired” and approximately eight people were injured in an “original crime scene” at 20th Street and Atlantic Avenue after 11 p.m.
“While officers were actively working that crime scene, we had additional shots that were fired” in the area of 20th Street and Pacific Avenue, Neudigate said, adding that it led to the shooter being killed by a uniformed officer.
The officer-involved shooting is under investigation, police said Saturday in a press release. The officer involved is assigned to the Special Operations Division and has been with the department for five years.
Neudigate said a second person was also killed in a shooting incident, but he noted that police don’t believe it was associated with the original shooting or the “police intervention shooting.”
In addition, Neudigate said an officer was struck by a car and then taken to a hospital. The chief said he was told this officer, who was not identified, had non-life-threatening injuries.
“What you can see is we have a very chaotic incident, a very chaotic night in the beach. Many different crime scenes,” Neudigate said, adding that the investigation will last all night and police will provide an update when they have more information to share. He also said, “Right now, everything is stable.”
Several people were taken into custody, but Neudigate told reporters that police did not know their involvement in the incident at that time.
Video posted to social media showed a heavy police presence in the area.
Neudigate said state police would not be coming in to investigate the officer-involved shooting at that time, but he did add that there were representatives from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office monitoring their investigation, “and if we need to change tactics, then we will do so.”
Massive police scene at the #VirginiaBeach oceanfront. Overheard a police officer say, “this is bad.” I am currently waiting for an official release from police. #13NewsNow pic.twitter.com/U4f7e5m82E
— Ali Weatherton 13News Now (@13AliWeatherton) March 27, 2021
The shootings come after a gunman opened fire at a King Soopers store in Boulder, Colorado, killing 10 on Monday, and the week before that, eight people were killed during a trio of shootings in the Atlanta area.
