PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Two men, police have confirmed were twin brothers, have died following a shooting that also injured a third person.
Around 3:22 a.m. on Feb. 5, police found two men with fatal injuries and a woman with life-threatening injuries on the 1800 block of Nashville Avenue in Portsmouth.
The two men who died have been identified as 51-year-old Alvin K. Joyner and 51-year-old Calvin R. Joyner.
One neighbor said that hearing gunshots on their street was no surprise to them.
“It’s regular for us around here. You hear them and you don’t pay attention to them,” Sharon Williams said.
Police have scheduled a R.E.S.E.T. walk for Tuesday, Feb. 7 in the Prentis Park Community in response to this homicide. Officers will meet in the 1800 block of Nashville Avenue at 3:30 p.m.
Williams said with all of the crime, she doesn’t feel safe in her own home anymore.
“It’s not safe like it used to be,” she said. “You used to worry about kids running down the street getting hit by a ball. Not now, you could get hit by a stray bullet.”
Williams has called the neighborhood home for 59 years. Growing up, she used to run from block to block with other kids knowing that they were safe. She said that now, the atmosphere is completely different.
“Now if my grandkids go off this block, I’m going too, or somebody’s got to go. I have to know where you’re going and have to know them well enough because you never know,” Williams explained.
People started moving away from the area because of the frequent crime, but Williams says she is staying put.
“There’s been times when their cars have had holes in them from random shootings, but I’ve been out here all my life. I’m not moving.”
She believes that Portsmouth city leaders have to learn how to work together.
“Until the head gets straight, then nothing else is gonna fall in place. Until they fall in place, then everything else will probably fall into place. We’ll get some people who will patrol the area on the regular,” Williams said.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
