PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Three people are dead and another person is in critical condition after a shooting Tuesday morning on Maple Avenue in Portsmouth.
It happened just after 9:30 a.m. in the 1500 block of Maple Avenue at Randolph Street.
There’s no suspect or motive information at this time, but a 2011 black GMC Acadia with Virginia tags VVF-9829 was seen leaving the area after the shooting happened.
WAVY’s Jon Dowding reported the investigation is focused on a home at the corner of Maple and Randolph.
Police say they believe all of the victims were staying at the house where the shooting happened. There is no known family relation between them.
On Wednesday, police identified those who died as 30-year-old Georgio Davonta Lee, 37-year-old Oleisha Deanna Mears and 34-year-old Ashley Merricks.
The fourth victim, a 66-year-old man, was still in critical condition.
No other updates were shared in a press release Wednesday.
Portsmouth Police have identified 36-year-old Latasha Monique Taylor as a person of interest in the shooting.
This was the second reported shooting Tuesday morning in the city. A man was found with a gunshot wound not far away at 7th Street and Madison Street, police announced at 7:23 a.m.
There was also a fatal shooting Monday on George Washington Highway, and shootings on Saturday and Sunday. Multiple people were also shot in a 24-hour period in the city late last week.
Community leaders and neighbors expressed frustration over this latest fatal shooting on Tuesday. Stop the Violence 757 President Freddie Taylor, Sr. said city council members needed to be on the scene.
“City leaders need to be out here,” he said. “Where’s the mayor? Where are the other council leaders? Where they at? This is their ward. They’re not out here.”
Neighbors, including a woman who asked to be referred to as “DP”, say they just want some kind of change.
“I’m so tired of hearing we need to stop. We need to stop. We need to make a change. What kind of change are you making? People still buying guns,” she said.
The Portsmouth Police Department held a news conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday to share information about the Maple Avenue shooting. Chief of Police Renado Prince, Assistant Chief Na’Shayla Nelson, Assistant Chief Stephen Jenkins and Interim City Manager Mimi Terry were all in attendance. View the briefing in its entirety in the player below:
Chief Prince addressed the recent shootings. He listed all of the shootings that have occurred in Portsmouth since June 1 and noted that so far investigators believe two of the shootings are gang-related. He emphasized that the city has not seen an uptick in gang gun violence. He said it’s time for citizens to speak up about incidents to give the department leads. “When you’re angry enough to take action, we’re here for you,” he said. “This is my city. I will not bow down; I will not stop.”
Prince says he was on the scene early Tuesday morning. However members who spoke to 10 On Your Side have a message for city council members.
“How often do y’all see them in the community? They’re at city hall. They’re sitting behind their desks, but they need to be out here in the community,” said Taylor. “The families are hurting out here. They’re not in the city council hall. They’re not hurting down there. They’re hurting out here in the communities.”
