PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Police say a 15-year-old boy is dead after an overnight shooting in Olde Towne Portsmouth.
Sunday just after 2 a.m., officers responded to a shots fired call on the 500 block of North Street. While on the way to the scene, officers learned that someone had been shot.
Upon arrival, they found a boy suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries.
On Monday, police confirmed the shooting started at a nearby AirBnB.
At this time, police have not released any suspect information.
The Portsmouth Police Department has planned a R.E.S.E.T. walk for Jan. 23 at 3:30 p.m. It will begin at North Street and Washington Street, then continue to Greenway Court.
Neighbor Melanie Hennis heard the gunshots. She told WAVY they were so loud she thought someone was banging on her door.
She said she thought nothing of it until about two hours later.
“I looked out the window and I’m like, “Oh my gosh,'” Hennis said. “There were police cars like — everywhere. They had it blocked off and crime scene tape up, and they were there for a good eight hours or so.”
Another neighbor declined an interview, but told 10 On Your Side after hearing the gunshots, she saw three guys run to a car parked on the street and speed off. She also said she heard all of this started at an Airbnb.
Hennis said that wouldn’t surprise her, telling 10 On Your Side the quiet atmosphere draw people in to rent out homes in the area.
“It’s like super safe down here, and it’s just like an awesome part of town, awesome part of Portsmouth,” Hennis said.
Josh Wynn lives in the neighborhood, and said he was on the couch when he heard the shots go off.
He agreed with Hennis that this incident was surprising for the area.
“Nothing on the street that I’ve ever heard of,” Wynn said. “And honestly, I’ve never heard any shots in all of Old Towne since I’ve been living here for about two years.”
He was shocked even more when he found out a teenage boy was killed.
“What I was really hoping was that it was just somebody, you know, like shooting up into the night just to be silly and dumb,” Wynn said. “When I heard that somebody got hit, I was pretty sad about that.”
Anyone with information about this crime is urged to call the Portsmouth Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at 757-393-8536 or to submit an anonymous tip through the Portsmouth Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Tips can also be submitted through the p3tips app.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
