VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A person is dead following a shooting in Virginia Beach Friday night, authorities confirmed.
The Virginia Beach Police Department said officers responded to reports of gunfire at around 10:45 p.m. in the area of Level Green Boulevard between Drew Drive and Percheron Lane.
Once at the scene, police found a person, Kalani Bailey-Cortez, 21, of Norfolk suffering from a gunshot wound. Medics pronounced Bailey-Cortez dead at the scene.
Gunshots startled Andrew Walters as he watched TV at his Virginia Beach home Friday night.
“I knew it wasn’t fireworks or anything like that," he said. "It was a loud three pops and I was like ‘Oh, this is serious.'”
His fiancé, Nicole Schimmel, said she was coming home from work when she saw police vehicles rushing down her street.
“As I’m pulling down, I pull into the parking lot and back up and I see a white car that hit the post,” she said.
According to neighbors, a skid mark by Drew Drive is part of the crime scene.
“I mean it was honestly kind of nerve-racking," Schimmel said.
Schimmel said she watched as police taped off the scene and as detectives searched for evidence.
“They’re bringing out the dogs and flashlights and everything trying to look for somebody,” she said.
After living here for a few years, she said seeing a scene like this nearby was a first for her.
“I’ve been down here since 2021 and this is the closest encounter I’ve been [to],” Schimmel said.
"I mean this has been a fairly good neighborhood. You know, I’m from Maryland and this is my first go-around here in Virginia Beach.”
However, Walters said he’s not surprised violence has reached his neighborhood.
“It’s unfortunate but, you know, that’s the way things go now,” he said.
There's no word on any suspects or what led up to the shooting. An investigation is underway.