NORFOLK, Va. - Police have a person of interest in custody following a shooting that left four people with gunshot wounds, including a Norfolk Sheriff's Deputy.
According to authorities, the call for the shooting at 216 E Plume Street came in around 1:15 a.m.
News 3 reporter Penny Kmitt was told the shooting happened in front of Legacy Restaurant & Lounge, across from Slover Library. She was also told that bullet casings were recovered on the corner of Plume and Atlantic.
#BREAKING — Four people shot in downtown Norfolk. It happened right here on Plume Street, across from the Slover Library.
— Penny Kmitt (@pennylikeacoin) August 5, 2022
Details in minutes on @WTKR3 at https://t.co/3ZxyfPLGsK. pic.twitter.com/3SGQ0OoziI
All four people with gunshot wounds were taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. A gun was also recovered at the scene.
As a result of the investigation, 25-year-old Tyshawn M. Gray has been charged with one count of aggravated assault on law enforcement, three counts of malicious wounding, four counts of use of a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm in public.
Norfolk Police held a press conference Friday afternoon. According to police, the incident started with an altercation inside of the lounge. They say Gray began firing into the crowd. No shots were fired back at the suspect and it is unclear if the weapon was brought into the establishment.
The deputy shot at the scene was on duty assisting police on the scene. He was shot in the leg but police say he is doing well and has been released from the hospital, with an expected full recovery.
According to a release from police, in May 2022, Norfolk Sheriff’s Office deputies began working alongside Norfolk Police officers several nights a week to provide enhanced law enforcement visibility in Downtown Norfolk following an increase of crime in the area. The partnership was designed to provide an additional layer of safety and security for businesses, patrons, and the community.
This is not the first time a shooting has taken place outside of an establishment in the downtown area. During the press conference, police mentioned the incident that happened late March outside an establishment on Granby Street. Police are now asking clubs and lounges in Downtown Norfolk to prepare to argue why they deserve to stay in business and continue to operate.
"All establishments should understand, as I said in March and I am saying as bluntly as I possibly can today, you are no longer able to claim immunity for things that occur outside your establishment."
This Tuesday, Norfolk city council members will consider whether to revoke Legacy Lounge's conditional use permit.
Saturday afternoon, a spokesperson released a statement on behalf of the owners of Legacy Lounge ahead of Tuesday's meeting:
"We have accepted the invitation made by City Manager Filer during a recent news broadcast. We look forward to explaining our reasons for selecting the City of Norfolk as the home for Legacy Lounge before the City Council. As the owners of Legacy Lounge, we selected Downtown Norfolk willingly and collaboratively. It is for that reason we have extended a standing invitation for a tour and meeting with our ownership team to the elected and civic stakeholders who share our interest in a successful, vibrant, and safe Downtown prior to any decision that would be made without dialogue."
