HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Between Jan 1. and June 7 this year, Virginia State Police said there have been 18 shootings on the interstates in the Hampton Roads area.
Of those 18, seven shootings occurred in Hampton, five were in Norfolk, and there were two each in Chesapeake and Portsmouth, State Police said in a release Thursday afternoon. There was also one shooting each in Newport News and Virginia Beach.
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Six of those shootings have resulted in six injuries, authorities said. There have been no fatalities.
“Hampton Roads residents should be alarmed by the number of shootings happening on our highways,” said Captain Timothy Reibel with Virginia State Police. “Virginians have a right to safely travel. The Virginia State Police, in partnership with local Hampton Roads law enforcement agencies, have been diligently pursuing all leads, evidence and resources available to us to make arrests in these incidents and prevent the next one from happening.”
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State Police said that the shootings haven't been random acts and there's no one person responsible.
Some of the shootings have commonalities, State Police said. For example, some of the victims and suspects are from the same communities, and some relationships from prior events have resulted in the shootings.
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State Police said some of the shootings are gang-related while others have individual conflicts.
“State police is committed to doing everything we can to make an arrest in every one of these interstate shootings, but we cannot do it alone. We know there are people out there who witnessed the disagreement that sparked an eventual shooting and/or know the suspects and the victims involved in these shootings. We need those people to come forward. Staying quiet only empowers these dangerous criminals, and further victimizes and endangers the safety of our communities and highways,” said Reibel.
Anyone with information about any of the shootings is asked to call Virginia State Police by dialing #77 or 757-424-6800.
