PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – The Portsmouth Police Department responded to a shooting Wednesday night that sent two people to the hospital, including a teenage girl with serious injuries.
Officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Frederick Boulevard around 10:20 p.m. for reports of a shooting, and while police have provided few details, a man who heard the gunfire and saw the victims said it appears they were leaving a Chick-Fil-A restaurant when someone opened fire.
“It is a situation that concerns all of us,” said Carl Williams of Andrew’s Brothers, “that our young lives are being jeopardized each and everyday.”
A WAVY crew went out to the scene Wednesday night. In the vicinity, officers surveyed the scene around the Chick-Fil-A restaurant.
And an early lunch crowd outside the restaurant Thursday saw no signs of what a witness said happened. The man, who did not want to be identified, said he was asleep in his car in the Walmart parking lot just across from the restaurant when he was awakened by the sound of gunfire.
“Then when the shots rang out, that’s when I jumped out my truck,” the man said. “The Portsmouth Police Department was coming to the scene. I saw the victim laying down on the ground. A White female officer, she performed CPR on a female.”
According to police, officers arrived at the scene and found a teenage girl with life-threatening wounds and a man with non life-threatening wounds. Both were taken to a local hospital to be treated for their injuries.
“It can be overcome with love and compassion,” Williams said. “And that’s why we’re here today, reaching out to the community, to families, to let them know, let’s get together to stop the violence on our children.”
And it starts, he said, with conflict resolution, and by saying these words: “I am sorry.”
“That’s it,” Williams said. “I am sorry. I made a mistake, and there’s nothing soft or being weak about stepping back and making a change. That’s the key. We’ve got to learn how to understand the pain of others.”
10 On Your Side has brought you several stories on Andrew’s Brothers, based at Third Baptist Church on Godwin Street. Last week 10 new children, including a girl joined the program. To Reach Andrew’s Brothers, contact the church at 757-393-9312.
Anyone with information on the double-shooting is asked to Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
10 On Your Side has reached out for additional details.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
