VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Three separate shootings at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront left two people dead and at least eight others injured.
The shooting rampage started Friday night just before 11:30 p.m. at Atlantic Avenue and 20th Street after police said a group of people got into a physical fight.
Gabriel Dickerson of Suffolk was out with his friends.
“I was scared,” he said. “I didn’t really know what was going on. I heard…altercations brewing all night, throughout the whole night. I didn’t think anything was actually going to elevate or escalate.”
Then, gunfire erupted causing mass panic.
“We were just out in the parking lot in the car listening to music and then we heard a couple shots,” Dickerson said. “I wasn’t sure if it was fireworks, so we got out of the car and then we saw everyone running so I took off running too.”
Several minutes later and a few blocks away on 19th Street and Pacific Avenue, a second shooting broke out killing bystander, 29-year-old Deshayla Harris of Norfolk. Police believe she was hit by a stray bullet during the exchange of gunfire.
“That’s sad,” said Dickerson. “We just trying to come out here and enjoy ourselves. It makes me sad.”
The third shooting in the 300 block of 20th Street involved an officer.
Donovon Lynch, 25, of Virginia Beach was killed at the scene. Neighbors tells News 3 he was a good kid, a quiet kid.
Dickerson said he knew both victims through social media.
“They were good people,” he said. “They were family-oriented. They good community people as far as I know.”
Police Chief Paul Neudigate said there is no evidence Lynch had a gun and no details on what led to the officer shooting him.
“We don’t have a whole lot of answers,” he said. “What I can tell you is that there was a firearm recovered in the vicinity of where this incident occurred. We would like to be more forthcoming but unfortunately we do not have body cam footage of this incident.”
Police have arrested three suspects in connection to the shooting. Ahmon Jahree Adams, 22, of Chesapeake; Nyquez Tyyon Baker, 18, of Virginia Beach, and Devon Maurice Dorsey Jr., 20, also of Virginia Beach were each charged with several felonies.
At this time, authorities believe all three shooting incidents were not connected. Additional suspects could be charged.
Some of the victims are still in the hospital as of Saturday night, but all are expected to make a full recovery.
During the shootings, police said an officer was hit by a car but suffered only minor injuries.
The investigation is ongoing. Chief Neudigate said the Virginia Attorney General’s office is also looking into this matter.
