Norfolk, Va. - New details are being released about a deadly shooting in downtown Norfolk that sparked outrage and prompted the city to install surveillance cameras.
On March 19, a man opened fire outside of Chicho's on Granby Street, killing three people.
The community was heartbroken.
Six months after the shooting, a memorial still stands for Sierra Jenkins. She was a reporter for the Virginian Pilot with a very bright future.
News 3 met up with her father, Maurice Jenkins, on Friday.
“Sierra was a good person, doing everything right and she still fell victim to gun violence so it can happen to anybody,” Maurice said.
After the shooting, Sierra Jenkins was taken to the hospital where she died from her injuries. In addition, Devon Harris, 25, of Portsmouth, died at the scene. A third victim, 24-year-old Marquel Andrews, of Portsmouth was hospitalized. He died from his injuries on April 12.
Two other people were injured.
According to police, 24-year-old Antoine M. Legrande Jr. was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, five counts of use of a firearm and two counts of malicious wounding.
New court records reveal a witness told authorities the shooter “pulled out a gun from his waistband and didn’t say a word and pulled the trigger at least 10 times."
Records show the witness said he fled to the left of the club.
“It’s something that we’re never going to get to get over, that something we’re going to have to battle with for the rest of our lives,” said Jenkins.
This was one of several violent nights in Downtown Norfolk.
The violence put pressure on city officials to take action. Last year, Culture nightclub closed after problems; authorities said police were called there 160 times in 2021.
In the last few days, Legacy Lounge is shutting its doors after four people were recently shot outside the building. The city is also pressuring Scotty Quixx and California Burrito to close citing permit issues.
But will closing businesses reduce crime?
“I think the goal is holistic, and the goal is to reduce crime throughout the city,” said former Norfolk Police Chief and News 3 law enforcement analyst Larry Boone.
Boone said cracking down on downtown businesses will have a small impact on crime downtown but will not have a measurable impact on overall gun violence seen across the city.
He said problematic people will continue to cause problems in other parts of the city.
Maurice Jenkins said he’s glad the city put up cameras on Granby Street and is cracking down on problems, but he said people who want to do bad things can't be controlled.
To honor the Norfolk Sierra Jenkins' memory, there is a scholarship fund that will provide money to Virginia residents who are pursuing a degree in journalism or communications at a four-year Virginia college or university.
“The Virginia Press Foundation’s mission is to provide training and resources for student journalists,” said Anne Adams, president of the board of the foundation. “This scholarship fits directly with our mission and helps students further their education in our incredibly important field.”
Jenkins was a 2019 Georgia State University graduate. She worked as a news assistant at CNN before returning home in 2020 to join The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press news teams.
"Sierra was all the things you look for in a journalist: curious, energetic, smart, driven,” said Kris Worrell, editor of The Virginian-Pilot and The Daily Press and a VPA and VPF board member. “She loved being an education reporter for her hometown newspaper and she had a way of getting people to talk to her. Maybe because she was so warm and such a good listener. People trusted her."
Click or tap here to donate to the Sierra Jenkins Scholarship Fund.
Scholarships will be made available to students in the 2023-2024 school year.
