NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — News 3 is learning more about the effort to investigate the murders of two teens in Newport News in September.
As News 3 has reported, the murders prompted an impassioned news conference by the city’s mayor and police chief.
Watch: Mayor Jones, Chief Drew condemn gun violence after teen boy is shot to death
“It’s just discouraging and sad for the families," said Chris Moore, referring to the fact that nearly three months after a 15 and 17-year-old were shot and killed a week apart in the city, the cases have still not been solved.
Moore runs an organization called Bagz4daKidz, which aims to prevent gun violence.
He said cases going unsolved can lead to other issues.
“Mental health issues, people who want to take matters into their own hands," Moore explained.
The 17-year-old was shot in the area of Gloucester Drive and Arlington Avenue, the same area where a deadly triple shooting happened Dec. 1.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said those shootings are not believed to be related, and added his officers are combing through social media posts to investigate the teens shot and killed in September.
Watch: Second person dies after weekend Newport News triple shooting
“There has been a lot of progress. I will tell you, there’s a lot of information that goes through social media," Drew said. "A lot of search warrants are being completed to go through that process with technology and that takes a lot of time.”
News 3 went to the courthouse in Newport News Tuesday to look for search warrants, but only two, which News 3 has previously reported on, were on file.
Watch: Newport News parents, volunteers to wait at bus stops with students after teen murders
The search warrants say the 17-year-old was hanging out with other kids after being dropped off by a school bus when a kid walked up, pulled a gun out of a hoodie, and shot in the direction of the teen.
The description is similar to the shooting death of the 15-year-old a week earlier. A search warrant says he was shot while walking to a school bus stop.
Watch: 15-year-old boy who attended Menchville High killed in Newport News shooting Tuesday
Despite the shootings, Moore believes the work his organization is doing is making a difference.
“I hear that so often, from everybody from the top to the bottom, especially the people in the community," said Moore. "They believe in us, they trust in us. They know that we’re on the job and that we’re serious and are genuine about providing help through these types of situations. I appreciate that trust that people have in us.”
As of Tuesday, police had not said if the shooting of the 15 and 17-year-olds are related.
