VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach police are investigating three shootings that took place in the city on Monday, leaving a total of six people injured.
Mounted patrols were seen Tuesday afternoon on Inverness Road, more than 24 hours after the following string of shootings began:
2:30 a.m.: Teen shot on Budding Avenue
The first shooting happened Monday around 2:30 a.m. in the 200 block of South Budding Avenue. Police say a 17-year-old boy was seriously injured in the incident and taken to the hospital.
8:30 p.m.: 2 men shot on Sassafras Court
Later, around 8:30 p.m., a second shooting happened on Sassafras Court, leaving two men seriously hurt.
One neighbor told News 3 her son was one of the men shot while taking out the trash.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate confirmed this incident was linked to a robbery, during which both men exchanged gunfire.
9:15 p.m.: 2 men, 1 woman shot on Haygood Road
Police say around 9:15 p.m., they were called about a shooting in the 4700 block of Haygood Road, near Ferry Plantation Road. That's down the street from Luxford Elementary and Bayside High School.
Two men and a woman were injured in that shooting and taken to the hospital. Police say the two men had serious injuries.
Tuesday afternoon, bullet holes were visible in the door and front window of one home.
“It just kind of came out of nowhere. I’m definitely confused,” said Micah Blaylock, a resident off Haygood Road.
Blaylock described a normal evening before gunshots rang out.
“Around 8 p.m., we heard a few shots ring out while we were sitting by the fire. I heard five or six shots go off,” he said.
Neudigate reported that the three individuals involved in the shooting on Haygood Road knew each other and were at an event where guns and alcohol were present.
“I’m not afraid, but it definitely heightens my awareness to maybe not go outside as much, you know, in the front yard,” Gabrielle Davision, a neighbor, said.
Residents expressed concern about the violence in their typically safe neighborhood.
“Your home is your safe place and when something like this happens, it's disturbing. We don’t know what happened, but we pray that everyone is safe and okay,” said Keith Bastman, a neighbor.
During a recent briefing to city council members about a spate of shootings in the area, Chief Neudigate addressed a critical question: Where are these guns coming from?
According to Chief Neudigate, one significant source is gun thefts from cars. He reported that in a neighborhood where two recent incidents took place, nearly 40 vehicles were broken into days prior to the shootings, resulting in the theft of three firearms.
"The data holds true year after year: about 10 percent of all cars that are broken into in the city of Virginia Beach produce a gun that ends up being possessed or utilized by someone who should not have access to it," Neudigate stated.
Pat Gadzinski, a representative from Moms Demand Action, a gun violence prevention group advocating for stronger gun safety laws, echoed the concern.
While we don't yet know all the details surrounding Monday's shootings in Virginia Beach, Gadzinski says it's always a good idea to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and away from children.
Gadzinski also highlighted recent legislative efforts aimed at promoting safe gun storage.
"Governor Youngkin signed into law a tax break for individuals who purchase a storage item for their firearm, providing up to $300, whether from a gun store or a regular retailer. We’re also advocating for penalties for not having secure storage in homes for firearms accessed by children under 14, with hopes to extend this initiative to kids under 18."
Chief Neudigate says authorities believe everyone responsible for the three shootings is currently in custody.
