Newport News Police Chief discusses how department intends to fight crime a day after Heritage High School shooting injured two teens

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Newport News Police Chief Drew hosted a "Chat with the Chief" Tuesday afternoon to discuss how the department intends to fight crime.

The chat took place Tuesday on Facebook Live at noon and 6 p.m. The Newport News Police Department encourages residents to chime in and ask questions on their Facebook page.

The department says the chat will also update residents on upcoming events and crime stats.

This chat comes a day after a school shooting took place at Heritage High School Monday morning.

Two teens were shot: One male was shot in the side of face, and the other was a female who was shot in the lower leg, police said, adding that neither sustained what are considered life-threatening injuries.

Chief Drew said they have arrested the suspect, who is a student.

During the noon chat, Chief Drew addressed the community's concerns regarding the shooting incident that took place at Heritage HS.

Chief Drew began the chat thanking the community for the continued prayers and says he is impressed by how the department handled Monday's shooting.

Chief Drew went through the comments and questions being asked by the community. When asked if the suspect was a student, the chief confirmed he was.

The chief also addressed whether schools should have metal detectors. Chief Drew did not fully answer the question, due to the fact that it is the school board's decision, however, he did say he had a great conversation about the metal detectors Monday with the superintendent.

A few parents asked the chief how can we ensure that an incident like Monday's at Heritage does not happen again, as many students have expressed concerns about returning to school.

Chief Drew says students need to be vigilant and if they see or hear anything on social media to always let someone know. He says that the incident was isolated between the two students and students should not fear going back to school.

The chief discussed the roles of Student Resource Officers and their importance on keeping students safe. The department has sent extra officers at schools Tuesday, including Menchville High, after parents informed officers of threats that were made Monday afternoon.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Chief Drew says no threats have been made at any schools.

According to the chief, the biggest question and concern is to figure out why the shooting happened and how did it get to that point.

Towards the end of the chat, Chief Drew did note that the city is down 5% in crime.