PORTSMOUTH, Va. — People in Portsmouth want action from the city, the police and also the citizens after two shootings this past weekend. One incident occurred on Towne Point Road, where two men were injured and an individual was charged. The other shooting happened off of Potomac Ave. and High St. where one man was injured.
"I have seen so many people come up here and participate telling you all about the gun violence," said Yvonne Dodson, a Portsmouth resident and wife of councilman Bill Dodson Jr. "On Sunday I was able to see the gun violence for myself."
Dodson spoke of her experience at the Portsmouth city council meeting Tuesday and again to News 3 on Wednesday.
Watch related coverage: Shooting in Portsmouth leaves two men with life-threatening injuries
She said she'd been at a church event at Mt. Sinai Christian Life Center on Potomac Ave. near High St. when she heard gunshots ring out across a nearby parking lot. Police confirmed one man was hurt in that shooting, though he's expected to recover.
"There was a bang, bang, bang, bang," explained Dodson. "Those bullets that came hit a car that was three spaces away from where those precious children were, and adults and me."
"No child should have to grow up accustomed to the sound of gunfire. No person should have to worry if their child, parent, or spouse will make it home safely and yet for too many families in our city this is a reality," Dodson shared a message to News 3 from a parent liaison.
This incident is not the only close call to tragedy that those with that church have seen in recent years. We shared the story back in 2017 when the original Mt. Sinai building burned to the ground after a lightning strike. That left members finding alternative locations to worship and it led them to the most recent spot.
Watch previous coverage: Portsmouth church picks up the pieces one year later after lightning destroys everything
After the shooting Dodson said, while shaken, she's reminded of how important community building and taking action is — no matter how big or small.
"It's not just the government's place to fix things. I think every citizen needs to do their part," said Dodson.
She said she volunteers with the Mt. Sinai's Community Development Corporation, a Portsmouth nonprofit called ChainBreakers Inc. They're working to help children learn to read, which the nonprofit believes will also help reduce crime. The nonprofit's using a grant to provide the Reading Enrichment Program to students in Portsmouth and hopes to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to the city, where kids up to age five would get a free book each month.
Watch related coverage: Portsmouth task force aims to curb gun violence
It's important, Dodson explained, because too many children aren't proficiently reading. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports roughly two-thirds of kids in the U.S. cannot read proficiently by fourth grade.
The data backs up the crime-reduction efforts too. Although learning to read by itself won't prevent participation in crime, the Department of Justice reports that reading skills can help people build confidence, better navigate every day tasks and hold higher paying jobs which may help individuals interact with and thrive in society.
"If we start with the young children maybe they won't even want to pick up a gun at age 16," Dodson said about the nonprofit's efforts.
The police are still investigating what happened in both shootings.
