Virginia Beach shootings: 2 dead, 8 wounded; 3 men arrested

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Two people were fatally shot and eight others were injured in separate shooting incidents late Friday night in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Police said Saturday that three men have been arrested in connection with the shootings, and two of the victims have been identified.

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Update 8:57 p.m. EDT March 27: At a news conference Saturday, Virginia Beach police Chief Paul Neudigate released more details from Friday night’s shooting. Neudigate said the first shooting was the result of a physical fight that escalated into gunfire. Neudigate said that several people produced weapons and that gunfire was exchanged.

Neudigate said he believed that Deshayla E. Harris, 29, of Norfolk, was an innocent bystander to the shooting. The police chief also said that while the police officer who fatally shot Donovon W. Lynch, 25, of Virginia Beach, had a body camera, the camera was not activated at the time of the shooting.

“We would like to be more forthcoming, but unfortunately we do not have body cam footage of this incident,” Neudigate said. “The officer was wearing a body cam, but for unknown reasons at this point in time it was not activated.

“As much as we would like to be transparent -- we pride ourselves on being accountable and responsive -- I do not have the answers that the community is looking for in regards to this death right now.”

Update 5:34 p.m. EDT March 27: Police in Virginia Beach identified the two people who were killed. They added that three people were arrested and charged in connection with the shootings.

Arrested were Ahmon Jahree Adams, 22, of Chesapeake; Nyquez Tyyon Baker, 18, of Virginia Beach; and Devon Maurice Dorsey Jr., 20, of Virginia Beach, the Virginia Beach Police Department said in a news release. Each man has been charged with seven counts of felonious assault, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and reckless handling of a firearm. All three men were involved with the first shooting incident, police said.

Police confirmed that Deshayla E. Harris, 29, of Norfolk, was fatally shot in the second incident that occurred Friday night, Virginia Beach police confirmed. According to police, Harris was a bystander when the shooting occurred. Donovon W. Lynch, 25, from Virginia Beach, was shot and killed by a Virginia Beach police officer, the television station reported. This occurred in that same area of the second shooting.

Update 1:15 p.m. EDT March 27: Police released an updated timeline Saturday for the three separate shootings.

Investigators said officers initially responded to a call around 11:20 p.m. Friday after a physical fight between groups escalated to gun fire, leaving multiple people wounded. Several minutes later, as officers managed the initial scene, more gunfire could be heard nearby. A female victim was found fatally shot. Her shooting is not believed to be related to the earlier incident, investigators said. At the same time, another officer encountered an armed man and fatally shot him. During all of these incidents, another officer was hit by a vehicle. The officer was taken to a hospital where they were treated and released.

The condition of the victims from the initial shooting is unclear. Police have not released or confirmed the identities of the victims who died.

Original report: Several of the injured victims had “possibly life-threatening injuries” police confirmed.

Virginia Beach police Chief Paul Neudigate said the preliminary count for the number of people shot is 10: A man was killed by police “in a police intervention shooting,” while a woman died from gunfire away from the scene. Eight people were shot at the first scene, the chief said.

“It was a very chaotic incident,” Neudigate said at a news conference early Saturday. “A very chaotic night in the beach. Many different crime scenes.”

Neudigate said the initial crime scene was at 20th Street and Atlantic Avenue in the oceanfront section of the city at 11:24 p.m. EDT, WAVY reported.

As officers were actively working that scene, Neudigate told reporters, there were additional shots in the area of 20th Street and Pacific Avenue. That resulted in an “individual being confronted by a uniformed Virginia Beach police officer.” That person was fatally shot by the officer, Neudigate said.

A second person who was not part of the officer-involved shooting also died at the scene, Neudigate said.

Neudigate also said an officer was struck by a car and taken to a hospital during the department’s response. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Neudigate did not elaborate on the conditions of the victims who were taken to an area hospital.

Earlier, Bruce Nedelka, of the Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services, told WVEC that several people had been hurt in the shooting. Virginia Beach police confirmed to WAVY early Saturday that “multiple people” possibly have life-threatening injuries and were taken to an area hospital. Police did not say how many people were injured, the television station reported.

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