VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Shootings on the Virginia Beach, Virginia waterfront left two dead and eight injured on Friday evening, an event described by authorities as “very chaotic.”
In a statement, the Virginia Beach Police Department said the first shooting occurred shortly after 11 p.m. Friday when police patrolling the area heard gunshots.
Several minutes after police intervened, officers heard more gunshots nearby and found a woman who died of her injuries. Investigators believe this event was unrelated to the initial shooting.
As police investigated the shootings, shots were fired nearby, Police Chief Paul Neudigate said. A policeman confronted a suspect and shot him dead. The agent was placed on administrative leave. He has been with the police service for five years and is assigned to its special operations division.
In a press release, police said investigators believed the first shooting was “some sort of conflict” and a brawl involving a group of people.
“At one point during the scuffle, several people took out guns and started shooting at each other, causing many injuries,” the statement said.
A total of ten people were shot and wounded, including the two who died, police said. In addition, a police officer was slightly injured after being struck by a vehicle, according to Neudigate. The injured officer was discharged from hospital, police said.
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital spokesman Andrew Helquist said four people being treated for gunshot wounds were in stable condition on Saturday, while four others were discharged.
No information on suspects was immediately available. Several people are being questioned by the police, but their possible involvement in the events is still under investigation, according to Neudigate.
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