NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Gloucester Drive near Marshall Ave. in Newport News was quiet Monday — no sign of the triple shooting police say there early Sunday morning that took two lives.
“We believe that this is not a random act," Newport News police Chief Steve Drew said at a news conference Monday afternoon.
Watch: Officers find man dead, two others hurt after shooting at Newport News home
Monday afternoon, Drew said a second victim — one of the two people police say was taken to a hospital after the shooting — had died.
Police identified them as 26-year-old Jude Dorfeuil of Yorktown.
Jesus Hamilton, 23, of Hampton has been identified as the person who police say was found shot to death in the Gloucester Drive apartment Sunday.
Watch: Newport News Police Chief provides update on fatal weekend triple shooting
“This is an isolated incident that revolves around illegal substances and firearms," Drew explained.
Police had not identified the third victim as of Monday, but said Monday afternoon they were in stable condition and said all three victims are believed to be known to each other.
Drew also declined to say Monday if any of the victims fired shots and if any of them officially lived at the apartment where the shooting happened.
Watch: Newport News City Council approves expanding gun ban in city buildings
“I’m not going to go into who we think did what, or what actions. We’re trying to piece all that together," said Drew.
This is the same area where a 17-year-old was shot and killed in September. Drew says the two incidents are not believed to be connected.
Watch: 17-year-old boy killed in Newport News shooting Tuesday morning
"There has been a lot of progress," Drew said about the investigation into the death of the 17-year-old.
There has also been progress made, Drew said, in the shooting of a 15-year-old killed while walking to a school bu stop according to court documents. That shooting happened exactly one week before the 17-year-old was shot and killed.
"In both of those cases, there's a lot of information that goes through social media," Drew explained. "A lot of search warrants are being completed to go through that process with technology and that takes a lot of time.
He also pointed out, however, shootings in the city were down 30 percent and homicides were down 50 percent compared to the same time in 2023.
